Chapter 117
Economic overview: Whereas the northern city Sanaa is the political capital of a united Yemen, the southern city Aden, with its refinery and port facilities, is the economic and commercial capital. Future economic development depends heavily on Western-assisted development of the country's moderate oil resources. Former South Yemen's willingness to merge stemmed partly from the steady decline in Soviet economic support. The low level of domestic industry and agriculture has made northern Yemen dependent on imports for practically all of its essential needs. Once self-sufficient in food production, northern Yemen has become a major importer. Land once used for export crops - cotton, fruit, and vegetables - has been turned over to growing a shrub called qat, whose leaves are chewed for their stimulant effect by Yemenis and which has no significant export market. Economic growth in former South Yemen has been constrained by a lack of incentives, partly stemming from centralized control over production decisions, investment allocation, and import choices. Yemen's large trade deficits have been compensated for by remittances from Yemenis working abroad and by foreign aid. Since the Gulf crisis, remittances have dropped substantially. High inflation and political divisions hinder the development of a forward-looking economic policy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 3.6% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,520 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 21% industry: 24% services: 55%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 71.3% (1994 est.)
Labor force: no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed in agriculture and herding or as expatriate laborers; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-half of the labor force
Unemployment rate: 30% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.4 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: capacity: 810,000 kW production: 1.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 149 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: grain, fruits, vegetables, qat (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, cotton; dairy products, poultry, meat; fish
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil, cotton, coffee, hides, vegetables, dried and salted fish partners: US 17%, Japan 16%, Singapore 15%, China 13% (1994)
Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: textiles and other manufactured consumer goods, petroleum products, sugar, grain, flour, other foodstuffs, cement, machinery, chemicals partners: US 11%, UK 7%, France 7%, Germany 5%, Japan 5% (1994)
External debt: $8 billion (1996)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $148 million (1993)
Currency: Yemeni rial (new currency)
Exchange rates: Yemeni rials per US$1 - 12.010 (official fixed rate); 90 (market rate, December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation --------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 51,392 km paved: 4,831 km unpaved: 46,561 km (1992 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km
Ports: Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla, Mocha, Nishtun
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,059 GRT/18,563 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, oil tanker 2 (1995 est.)
Airports: total: 41 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 6 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 8 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10 (1995 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephones: 131,655 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network domestic: the network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, and tropospheric scatter international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 10
Televisions: 350,000 (1992 est.)
Defense -------
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Police)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 2,985,764 males fit for military service: 1,685,517 males reach military age (18) annually: 145,161 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
======================================================================
@Zaire -----
Map ---
Location: 0 00 N, 25 00 E -- Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Flag ----
Description: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Geography ---------
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 2,345,410 sq km land area: 2,267,600 sq km comparative area: slightly more than one-fourth the size of US
Land boundaries: total: 10,271 km border countries: Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it has been informally reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along the Congo river is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 78% other: 15%
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; 1.2 million Rwandan refugees are responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in eastern Zaire natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification
Geographic note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
People ------
Population: 46,498,539 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 11,161,347; female 11,124,583) 15-64 years: 49% (male 11,197,097; female 11,783,524) 65 years and over: 3% (male 539,775; female 692,213) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.67% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 48.1 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 16.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -14.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) note: in 1994, more than one million refugees fled into Zaire to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi; a small number of these returned to their homes in 1995 despite fear of the ongoing violence; additionally, Zaire is host to about 100,000 Angolan, and about 100,000 Sudanese refugees
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 108 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.7 years male: 44.97 years female: 48.47 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Zairian(s) adjective: Zairian
Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are Bantu; four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba (1995 est.) total population: 77.3% male: 86.6% female: 67.7%
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Zaire conventional short form: Zaire local long form: Republique du Zaire local short form: Zaire former: Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa
Data code: CG
Type of government: republic with a strong presidential system
Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24 November 1965) elected for a seven-year term by popular vote; election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held by 9 July 1997); results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition head of government: Prime Minister Leon KENGO wa Dondo (since 14 June 1994) elected by the High Council of the Republic cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by mutual agreement of the president and the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament: a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba; Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC); Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI); Unified Lumumbast Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA; Union of Independent Democrats (UDI), Leon KENGO wa Dondo
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador TATANENE Manata chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (12) 21533 through 21535 FAX: [243] (88) 43805, ext. 2308 or 43467
Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy -------
Economic overview: Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate, although Prime Minister KENGO has had some success in slowing the rate of economic decline. While meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, chronic large government deficits, and plunging mineral production have made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank notes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able to meet its financial obligations to the IMF nor put in place the financial measures advocated by it. Although short-term prospects for improvement remain doubtful, improved political stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively exploit its vast mineral and agricultural resources.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -7.4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $400 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% monthly average (1995 est.)
Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $479 million expenditures: $479 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: -20% (1993)
Electricity: capacity: 2,830,000 kW production: 6.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 133 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Exports: $419 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil partners: US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports: $382 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels partners: South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt: $11.3 billion (December 1993 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates: new zaires (Z) per US$1 - 10,618 (October 1995), 1,194 (1994), 3 (1993); zaire (Z) per US$1 - 645,549 (1992), 15,587 (1991) note: on 22 October 1993 the new zaire, equal to 3,000,000 old zaires, was introduced
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation --------------
Railways: total: 5,138 km (1995); note - severely reduced trackage in use because of civil strife narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge
Highways: total: 145,000 km paved: 290 km unpaved: 144,710 km (1991 est.)
Waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km
Ports: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 217 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 4 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 15 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 82 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 17 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 94 (1995 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephones: 34,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.87 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 18
Televisions: 55,000 (1992 est.)
Defense -------
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, paramilitary Civil Guard, Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 10,025,536 males fit for military service: 5,108,385 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $46 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)
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@Zambia ------
Map ---
Location: 15 00 S, 30 00 E -- Southern Africa, east of Angola
Flag ----
Description: green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag
Geography ---------
Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 752,610 sq km land area: 740,720 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 5,664 km border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it has been informally reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point: in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 47% forest and woodland: 27% other: 19%
Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: landlocked
People ------
Population: 9,159,072 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (male 2,272,981; female 2,244,403) 15-64 years: 48% (male 2,157,106; female 2,256,935) 65 years and over: 3% (male 110,433; female 117,214) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.11% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 44.73 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 23.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 96.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 36.31 years male: 36.15 years female: 36.46 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Zambian(s) adjective: Zambian
Ethnic divisions: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in English (1995 est.) total population: 78.2% male: 85.6% female: 71.3%
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Zambia conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia
Data code: ZA
Type of government: republic
Capital: Lusaka
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence: 24 October 1964 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution: 2 August 1991
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991) elected for a five-year term by popular vote; Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994) appointed by the president; election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held October 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16% cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held October 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) MMD 125, UNIP 25; note - the MMD's majority was weakened by the defection of 13 of its parliamentary members during 1993 and the defeat of its candidates in four of the resulting byelections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth KAUNDA; National Party (NP), Humphrey MULEMBIA; Labor Party (LP), Chibiza MFUNI; Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC), Dean MUNG'OMBA; Liberal Progressive Front (LPF), Roger CHONGWE, president
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dunstan Weston KAMANA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Roland K. KUCHEL embassy: corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955, 252-230 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225
Flag: green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag
Economy -------