Part 49

Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--28.559 (January 1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)

Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July

- Communications Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned

Highways: 5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally motorable tracks

Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft

Airports: 38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force

Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military service; 225,349 reach military age (17) annually

Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or $58 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Netherlands - Geography Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940 km2

Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, FRG 577 km

Coastline: 451 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil

Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 34% meadows and pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 15% irrigated

Environment: 27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes

Note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, Schelde)

- People Population: 14,936,032 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)

Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective--Dutch

Ethnic divisions: 96% Dutch, 4% Moroccans, Turks, and others (1988)

Religion: 36% Roman Catholic, 27% Protestant, 4% other, 33% unaffiliated (1986)

Language: Dutch

Literacy: 99%

Labor force: 5,300,000; 50.1% services, 28.2% manufacturing and construction, 15.9% government, 5.8% agriculture (1986)

Organized labor: 29% of labor force

- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague

Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien, singular--provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland

Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Independence: 1579 (from Spain)

Constitution: 17 February 1983

Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers

Legislative branch: bicameral States General (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)

Leaders: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van Velzen; Labor (PvdA), Wim Kok; Liberal (VVD), Joris Voorhoeve; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van Mierio; Communist (CPN), Henk Hoekstra; a host of minor parties

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: First Chamber--last held on 9 June l987 (next to be held 9 June 1991); results--elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats--(75 total) percent of seats by party NA;

Second Chamber--last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results--CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, others 10.3%; seats--(150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, others 13

Communists: about 6,000

Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV--Interchurch Peace Council

Member of: ADB, Benelux, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard H. FEIN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159); telephone [31] (70) 62-49-11; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg which uses a lighter blue and is longer

- Economy Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity, including construction, provides about 25% of GDP, and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metal-working industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 6% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of over 8.6% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.

GDP: $205.9 billion, per capita $13,900; real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.6% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $71 billion; expenditures $82 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1989)

Exports: $110.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing; partners--EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7% (1988)

Imports: $100.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products; partners--EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)

External debt: none

Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)

Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics

Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops--grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils

Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $15.8 billion

Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1--2.2906 (January 1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications Railroads: 3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track; 2,871 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS); 166 km privately owned

Highways: 108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone

Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger

Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas

Ports: maritime--Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland--29 ports

Merchant marine: 345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,661,822 GRT/3,732,282 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 187 cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-load carrier, 15 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 1 combinatio n ore/oil, 9 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note--many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register

Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft

Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, 20 (32 repeaters) FM, 21 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems

- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy/Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force

Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,134,006; 3,660,048 fit for military service; 111,948 reach military age (20) annually

Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP, or $6.0 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm) - Geography Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other

Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

Note: consists of two island groups--Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north

- People Population: 183,503 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)

Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective--Netherlands Antillean

Ethnic divisions: 85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental

Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish

Literacy: 95%

Labor force: 89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)

Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force

- Government Long-form name: none

Type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

Capital: Willemstad

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)

Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)

Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: Parliament (Staten)

Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice

Leaders: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)

Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:

Curacao--National People's Party (NVP), Maria Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustus Diaz; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Socialist Independent (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte;

Bonaire--New Force, Rudy Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) Abraham;

Sint Maarten--Democratic Party of Sint Maarten, Claude Wathey; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet;

Sint Eustatius--Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius, Albert K. Van Putten; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric Henriquez;

Saba--Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will Johnston; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon Hassell; Saba Unity Party, Carmen Simmonds

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: Parliament--last held on 22 November 1985 (next to be held November 1989); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DP-Bonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1, UPB 1, WIPM 1; note--the government of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is a coalition of several parties

Communists: small leftist groups

Member of: EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the Netherlands; UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands; US--Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at St. Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613066

Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

- Economy Overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a comparatively high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier. The economy has suffered somewhat in recent years because of the depressed state of the world oil market and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to the islands. As a result of a decline in tax revenues, the government has been seeking financial support from the Netherlands.

GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 26.0% (1988)

Budget: revenues $180 million; expenditures $289 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)

Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum products 98%; partners--US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%

Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures; partners--Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%

External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food

Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $353 million

Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1--1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth

Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk

Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note--all but a few are foreign owned

Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft

Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio relay links; stations--9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

- Defense Forces Military Manpower: males 15-49 49,299; 27,888 fit for military service; 1,678 reach military age (20) annually

Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands ---------------------------------------------------- Country: New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 2,254 km

Maritime claims:

Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Extended economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other

Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March

Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean

- People Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)

Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian

Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%

Religion: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other

Language: French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)

Organized labor: NA

- Government Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

Type: overseas territory of France

Capital: Noumea

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)

Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);

Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)

Political parties: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme right; Caledonian Separatist Front, extreme left

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Elections: Territorial Congress--last held NA June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, others 5;

French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) RPCR 1;

French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) RPCR 2

Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese

Member of: EIB (associate), WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France

Flag: the flag of France is used

- Economy Overview: New Caledonia has more than 40% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.

GNP: $860 million, per capita $5,810; real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1986)

Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1983)

Budget: revenues $110.5 million; expenditures $110.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1981)

Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--nickel metal 87%, nickel ore; partners--France 56.3%, Japan

Imports: $180 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment; partners--France 50.3%, Australia

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 14,440 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: nickel mining