Chapter 32

Overview: Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a major source of foreign exchange, and sugar processing accounts for one-third of industrial output. Industry, including sugar milling, contributes 13% to GDP. Fiji traditionally had earned considerable sums of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists who visited each year. In 1987, however, after two military coups, the economy went into decline. GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainty created a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused sugar production to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar and tourism turned in strong performances in 1989, and the economy rebounded vigorously. In 1990 the economy received a setback from cyclone Sina, which cut sugar output by an estimated 21%. Sugar exports recovered in 1991-92. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 3% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $1,900 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: 5.9% (1991 est.) Budget: revenues $455 million; expenditures $546 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.) Exports: $435 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber partners: EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6% Imports: $553 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32%, food 15%, petroleum products, consumer goods, chemicals partners: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6% External debt: $428 million (December 1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP Electricity: 215,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats; fish catch nearly 33,000 tons (1989) Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $815 million Currency: 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

*Fiji, Economy

Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 - 1.5809 (January 1993), 1.5029 (1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988) Fiscal year: calendar year

*Fiji, Communications

Railroads: 644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation Highways: 3,300 km total; 1,590 km paved; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth (1984) Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 40,072 GRT/47,187 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off, 2 container, 1 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 cargo Airports: total: 25 usable: 22 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2 Telecommunications: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center; important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; 53,228 telephones (71 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations - 7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

*Fiji, Defense Forces

Branches: Fiji Military Force (FMF; including a naval division, police) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 194,634; fit for military service 107,304; reach military age (18) annually 7,834 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $22.4 million, about 2% of GDP (FY91/92)

*Finland, Geography

Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia Map references: Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 337,030 km2 land area: 305,470 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana Land boundaries: total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations) Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 6 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 4 nm International disputes: none Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 76% other: 16% Irrigated land: 620 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain Note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent

*Finland, People

Population: 5,050,942 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.37% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 12.61 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 9.91 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.65 years male: 71.85 years female: 79.62 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 2.533 million by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%

*Finland, Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi Digraph: FI Type: republic Capital: Helsinki Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union) Constitution: 17 July 1919 Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917) Political parties and leaders: government coalition: Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (conservative) Party, Perti SALOLAINEN; Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; Finnish Christian League, Toimi KANKAANNIEMI other parties: Social Democratic Party, Antero KEKKONEN, Acting Chairman; Leftist Alliance (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSON; Green League, Pekka SAURI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal People's Party, Kalle MAATTA Other political or pressure groups: Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 31 January - 1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results - Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri HOLKERI 18% Parliament: last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results - Center Party 24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal People's Party 0.8%; seats - (200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1

*Finland, Government

Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto) Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus) Leaders: Chief of State: President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982) Head of Government: Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since 26 April 1991) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (202) 363-2430 FAX: (202) 363-8233 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York consulates: Chicago and Houston US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John H. KELLY embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (0) 171931 FAX: [358] (0) 174681 Flag: white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the DANNEBROG (Danish flag)

*Finland, Economy

Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output two-thirds of the US figure. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, sank into deep recession in 1991 as growth contracted by 6.5%. The recession - which continued in 1992 with growth contracting by 3.5% - has been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finnish Government has proposed efforts to increase industrial competitiveness and efficiency by an increase in exports to Western markets, cuts in public expenditures, partial privatization of state enterprises, and changes in monetary policy. In June 1991 Helsinki had tied the markka to the EC's European Currency Unit (ECU) to promote stability. Ongoing speculation resulting from a lack of confidence in the government's policies forced Helsinki to devalue the markka by about 12% in November 1991 and to indefinitely break the link in September 1992. By boosting the competitiveness of Finnish exports, these measures presumably have kept the economic downturn from being even more severe. Unemployment probably will remain a serious problem during the next few years - monthly figures in early 1993 are approaching 20% - with the majority of Finnish firms facing a weak domestic market and the troubled German and Swedish export markets. Declining revenues, increased transfer payments, and extensive funding to bail out the banking system are expected to push the central government's budget deficit to nearly 13% in 1993. Helsinki continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EC during Finland's current EC membership bid. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $79.4 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: -3.5% (1992) National product per capita: $15,900 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1992) Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1992) Budget: revenues $26.8 billion; expenditures $40.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992) Exports: $24.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear partners: EC 53.2% (Germany 15.6%, UK 10.7%), EFTA 19.5% (Sweden 12.8%), US 5.9%, Japan 1.3%, Russia 2.8% (1992) Imports: $21.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains

*Finland, Economy

partners: EC 47.2% (Germany 16.9%, UK 8.7%), EFTA 19.0% (Sweden 11.7%), US 6.1%, Japan 5.5%, Russia 7.1% (1992) External debt: $25 billion (1992) Industrial production: growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.) Electricity: 13,500,000 kW capacity; 55,300 million kWh produced, 11,050 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops - cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of foodgrains and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion Currency: 1 markkaa (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.4193 (January 1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988) Fiscal year: calendar year

*Finland, Communications

Railroads: 5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified Highways: about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers Pipelines: natural gas 580 km Ports: Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku Merchant marine: 87 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 935,260 GRT/973,995 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 17 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 26 roll-on/roll-off, 14 oil tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk Airports: total: 160 usable: 157 with permanent-surface runways: 66 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 22 Telecommunications: good service from cable and microwave radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 105 FM, 235 TV; 1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki

*Finland, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Coast Guard) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,323,381; fit for military service 1,091,613; reach military age (17) annually 33,828 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.93 billion, about 2% of GDP (1992)

*France, Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 547,030 km2 land area: 545,630 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado note: includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions Land boundaries: total 2,892.4 km, Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km Coastline: 3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km) Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12-24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; Mexico claims Clipperton Island; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash Land use: arable land: 32% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 23% forest and woodland: 27% other: 16% Irrigated land: 11,600 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral Note: largest West European nation

*France, People

Population: 57,566,091 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.48% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 13.24 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 9.3 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78 years male: 74.04 years female: 82.16 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6% Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 24.17 million by occupation: services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)

*France, Government

Names: conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France Digraph: FR Type: republic Capital: Paris Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon) Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis) Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, ammended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992 Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts National holiday: National Day, Taking of theBastille, 14 July (1789) Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of UREI, UC, RDE), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING; Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND; Socialist Party (PS), Michel ROCARD; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Emile ZUCCARELLI; Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN; Union of Republican and Independents (UREI); Centrist Union (UC); (RDE) Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members est.; independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais - CNPF or Patronat) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

*France, Government