# The 1990 CIA World Factbook ## Part 5 Book page: https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/the-1990-cia-world-factbook-14/index.md Capital: Buenos Aires (tentative plans to move to Viedma by 1990 indefinitely postponed) Administrative divisions: 22 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia), 1 national territory* (territorio nacional), and 1 district** (distrito); Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Distrito Federal**, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego and Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur*, Tucuman Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain) Constitution: 1 May 1853 Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 25 May (1810) Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camera de Diputados) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President Eduardo DUHALDE (since 8 July 1989) Political parties and leaders: Justicialist Party (JP), Antonio Cafiero, Peronist umbrella political organization; Radical Civic Union (UCR), Raul Alfonsin, moderately left of center; Union of the Democratic Center (UCEDE), Alvaro Alsogaray, conservative party; Intransigent Party (PI), Dr. Oscar Alende, leftist party; several provincial parties Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President--last held 14 May 1989 (next to be held May 1995); results--Carlos Saul Menem was elected; Chamber of Deputies--last held 14 May 1989 (next to be held May 1991); results--JP 47%, UCR 30%, UDC 7%, other 16%; seats--(254 total); JP 122, UCR 93, UDC 11, other 28 Communists: some 70,000 members in various party organizations, including a small nucleus of activists Other political or pressure groups: Peronist-dominated labor movement, General Confederation of Labor (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization), Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association), Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association), business organizations, students, the Roman Catholic Church, the Armed Forces Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Guido Jose Maria DI TELLA; Chancery at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone 202) 939-6400 through 6403; there are Argentine Consulates General in Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles; US--Ambassador Terence A. TODMAN; Embassy at 4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires (mailing address is APO Miami 34034); telephone [54] (1) 774-7611 or 8811, 9911 Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May - Economy Overview: Argentina is rich in natural resources, and has a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Nevertheless, the economy has encountered major problems in recent years, leading to a recession in 1988-89. Economic growth slowed to 2.0% in 1987 and to - 1.8% in 1988; a sharp decline of - 5.5% has been estimated for 1989. A widening public-sector deficit and a multidigit inflation rate has dominated the economy over the past three years, reaching about 5,000% in 1989. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to $60 billion, creating severe debt-servicing difficulties and hurting the country's creditworthiness with international lenders. GNP: $72.0 billion, per capita $2,217; real growth rate - 5.5% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4,925% (1989) Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $11.5 billion; expenditures $13.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.93 billion (1988) Exports: $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, hides, wool; partners--US 14%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands Imports: $4.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, fuels and lubricants, agricultural products; partners--US 25%, Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands External debt: $60 billion (December 1989) Industrial production: growth rate - 8% (1989) Electricity: 16,449,000 kW capacity; 46,590 million kWh produced, 1,460 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: food processing (especially meat packing), motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP (including fishing); produces abundant food for both domestic consumption and exports; among world's top five exporters of grain and beef; principal crops--wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets; 1987 fish catch estimated at 500,000 tons Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $718 million Currency: austral (plural--australes); 1 austral (A) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: australes (A) per US$1--1,930 (December 1989), 8.7526 (1988), 2.1443 (1987), 0.9430 (1986), 0.6018 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Railroads: 34,172 km total (includes 169 km electrified); includes a mixture of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1.676-meter broad gauge, 1.000-meter gauge, and 0.750-meter gauge Highways: 208,350 km total; 47,550 km paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km improved earth, 20,300 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 11,000 km navigable Pipelines: 4,090 km crude oil; 2,900 km refined products; 9,918 km natural gas Ports: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe Merchant marine: 131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,693,540 GRT/2,707,079 DWT; includes 45 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 48 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 18 bulk Civil air: 54 major transport aircraft Airports: 1,799 total, 1,617 usable; 132 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 335 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: extensive modern system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 public telephones); radio relay widely used; stations--171 AM, no FM, 231 TV, 13 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; domestic satellite network has 40 stations - Defense Forces Branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture, National Aeronautical Police Force Military manpower: males 15-49, 7,860,054; 6,372,189 fit for military service; 277,144 reach military age (20) annually Defense expenditures: 1.4% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Aruba (part of the Dutch realm) - Geography Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 68.5 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other Environment: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt Note: 28 km north of Venezuela - People Population: 62,656 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990) Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Aruban(s); adjective--Aruban Ethnic divisions: 80% mixed European/Caribbean Indian Religion: 82% Roman Catholic, 8% Protestant; also small Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, and Jewish minority Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish Literacy: 95% Labor force: NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986) Organized labor: Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA) - Government Long-form name: none Type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles Capital: Oranjestad Administrative divisions: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands) Independence: planned for 1996 Constitution: 1 January 1986 Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral 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 Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989) Political parties and leaders: Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson Oduber; Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny Eman; National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro Kelly; New Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy Werlemen; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Benny Nisbet; Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo Berlinski; Democratic Action '86 (AD'86), Arturo Oduber; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: Parliament--last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1 Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands) Flag: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner - Economy Overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. In 1985 the economy suffered a severe blow when Exxon closed its refinery, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings. Economic collapse was prevented by soft loans from the Dutch Government and by a booming tourist industry. Hotel capacity expanded by 20% between 1985 and 1987 and is projected to more than double by 1990. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 3% in 1988. GDP: $620 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate 16.7% (1988 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1988 est.) Unemployment rate: 3% (1988 est.) Budget: revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988) Exports: $47.5 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--mostly petroleum products; partners--US 64%, EC Imports: $296.0 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--food, consumer goods, manufactures; partners--US 8%, EC External debt: $81 million (1987) Industrial production: growth rate - 20% (1984) Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,120 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities Agriculture: poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the cultivation of aloes Aid: none Currency: Aruban florin (plural--florins); 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Ports: Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas Airfield: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad Telecommunications: generally adequate; extensive interisland radio relay links; 72,168 telephones; stations--4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to St. Maarten - Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands until 1996 ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Ashmore and Cartier Islands (territory of Australia) - Geography Total area: 5 km2; land area: 5 km2; includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 74.1 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploration; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm Climate: tropical Terrain: low with sand and coral Natural resources: fish Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other--grass and sand Environment: surrounded by shoals and reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 Note: located in extreme eastern Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia 320 km off the northwest coast of Australia - People Population: no permanent inhabitants; seasonal caretakers - Government Long-form name: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands Type: territory of Australia administered by the Australian Ministry for Territories and Local Government Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia) Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia Note: administered by the Australian Minister for Arts, Sports, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories Graham Richardson Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia) - Economy Overview: no economic activity - Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only - Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Atlantic Ocean - Geography Total area: 82,217,000 km2; includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies Comparative area: slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean) Coastline: 111,866 km Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November Terrain: surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the north Atlantic, counterclockwise warm water gyre in the south Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin; maximum depth is 8,605 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones Environment: endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica occur in the extreme southern Atlantic Note: ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north Atlantic from October to May and extreme south Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can be a hazard to shipping from May to September; major choke points include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Dover Strait, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; north Atlantic shipping lanes subject to icebergs from February to August; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean - Economy Overview: Economic activity is limited to exploitation of natural resources, especially fish, dredging aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and crude oil and natural gas production (Caribbean Sea and North Sea). - Communications Ports: Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (FRG), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Leningrad (USSR), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden) Telecommunications: numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network Note: Kiel Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Australia - Geography Total area: 7,686,850 km2; land area: 7,617,930 km2; includes Macquarie Island Comparative area: slightly smaller than the US Land boundaries: none Coastline: 25,760 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory) Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, crude oil Land use: 6% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 58% meadows and pastures; 14% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as the doctor occurs along west coast in summer; desertification Note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country - People Population: 16,923,478 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990) Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Australian(s); adjective--Australian Ethnic divisions: 95% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 1% Aboriginal and other Religion: 26.1% Anglican, 26.0% Roman Catholic, 24.3% other Christian Language: English, native languages Literacy: 98.5% Labor force: 7,700,000; 33.8% finance and services, 22.3% public and community services, 20.1% wholesale and retail trade, 16.2% manufacturing and industry, 6.1% agriculture (1987) Organized labor: 42% of labor force (1988) - Government Long-form name: Commonwealth of Australia Type: federal parliamentary state Capital: Canberra Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Dependent areas: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Australia Day (last Monday in January), 29 January 1990 Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: High Court Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 1952), represented by Governor General William George HAYDEN (since NA February 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Robert James Lee HAWKE (since 11 March 1983); Deputy Prime Minister Paul KEATING (since 3 April 1990) Political parties and leaders: government--Australian Labor Party, Robert Hawke; opposition--Liberal Party, Andrew Peacock; National Party, Charles Blunt; Australian Democratic Party, Janine Haines Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 Elections: Senate--last held 11 July 1987 (next to be held by 12 May 1990); results--Labor 43%, Liberal-National 42%, Australian Democrats 8%, independents 2%; seats--(76 total) Labor 32, Liberal-National 34, Australian Democrats 7, independents 3; House of Representatives--last held 24 March 1990 (next to be held by November 1993); results--Labor 39.7%, Liberal-National 43%, Australian Democrats and independents 11.1%; seats--(148 total) Labor 78, Liberal-National 69, independent 1 Communists: 4,000 members (est.) Other political or pressure groups: Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group) Member of: ADB, AIOEC, ANZUS, CCC, CIPEC (associate), Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael J. COOK; Chancery at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 797-3000; there are Australian Consulates General in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER; Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (mailing address is APO San Francisco 6404); telephone [61] (62) 705000; there are US Consulates General in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and a Consulate in Brisbane Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars - Economy Overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GNP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are primary products, so that, as happened during 1983-84, a downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods but competition in international markets will be severe.