Chapter 55
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Fayiz A. TARAWNEH chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley W. EGAN, Jr. embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 820101 FAX: [962] (6) 820159
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran
Economy -------
Economic overview: Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal. Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - outstripped exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states, worker remittances, and trade contracted; and refugees flooded the country, producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth, and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992, largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf, but the recovery was uneven throughout 1994 and 1995. The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling and write-offs of its heavy foreign debt. Debt, poverty, and unemployment remain Jordan's biggest on-going problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $19.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $4,700 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 11% industry: 25% services: 64% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 600,000 (1992) by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $640 million (1996 est.)
Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 1,050,000 kW production: 4.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,072 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures partners: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EU, Indonesia, UAE
Imports: $3.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods partners: EU, US, Iraq, Japan, Turkey
External debt: $6.9 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $238 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.7090 (January 1996), 0.7005 (1995), 0.6987 (1994), 0.6928 (1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation --------------
Railways: total: 676 km narrow gauge: 676 km 1.050-m gauge; note - an additional 110 km stretch of the old Hedjaz railroad is out of use
Highways: total: 5,680 km paved: 5,680 km (including 1,712 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1991 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 209 km
Ports: Al'Aqabah
Merchant marine: total: 3 bulk ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,960 GRT/67,515 DWT (1995 est.)
Airports: total: 14 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 10 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephones: 81,500 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: adequate telephone system domestic: microwave radio relay, cable, and radiotelephone links international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0
Radios: 1.1 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8 and 1 TV receive-only satellite link
Televisions: 350,000 (1992 est.)
Defense -------
Branches: Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, and Royal Jordanian Air Force); Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis situations)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 1,011,588 males fit for military service: 721,460 males reach military age (18) annually: 45,406 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $589 million, 8.2% of GDP (1996)
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@Juan de Nova Island -------------------
(possession of France)
Map ---
Location: 17 03 S, 42 45 E -- Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Flag ----
Description: the flag of France is used
Geography ---------
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 17 03 S, 42 45 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 4.4 sq km land area: 4.4 sq km comparative area: about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24.1 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth the of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: NA lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 10 m
Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 90% other: 10%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: periodic cyclones international agreements: NA
Geographic note: wildlife sanctuary
People ------
Population: uninhabited
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
Data code: JU
Type of government: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy -------
Economic overview: no economic activity
Transportation --------------
Railways: total: NA km; short line going to a jetty
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: total: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Defense -------
Defense note: defense is the responsibility of France
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@Kazakstan ---------
Map ---
Location: 48 00 N, 68 00 E -- Central Asia, northwest of China
Flag ----
Description: sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in yellow
Geography ---------
Location: Central Asia, northwest of China
Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area: total area: 2,717,300 sq km land area: 2,669,800 sq km comparative area: slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 12,012 km border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) note: Kazakstan borders the Aral Sea (1,015 km) and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined
Climate: continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oasis and desert in Central Asia lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m highest point: Zhengis Shingy 7,439 m
Natural resources: major deposits of petroleum, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Land use: arable land: 15% permanent crops: NEGL% meadows and pastures: 57% forest and woodland: 4% other: 24%
Irrigated land: 23,080 sq km (1990)
Environment: current issues: radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former defense industries and test ranges are found throughout the country and pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salinization from faulty irrigation practices natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: landlocked
People ------
Population: 16,916,463 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 2,576,204; female 2,486,937) 15-64 years: 63% (male 5,203,035; female 5,451,404) 65 years and over: 7% (male 384,341; female 814,542) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.15% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 19.02 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 9.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -10.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female all ages: 0.93 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 63.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.09 years male: 58.56 years female: 69.9 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kazakstani(s) adjective: Kazakstani
Ethnic divisions: Kazak (Qazaq) 41.9%, Russian 37%, Ukrainian 5.2%, German 4.7%, Uzbek 2.1%, Tatar 2%, other 7.1% (1991 official data)
Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages: Kazak (Qazaqz) official language spoken by over 40% of population, Russian (language of interethnic communication) spoken by two-thirds of population and used in everyday business
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 96%
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Kazakstan conventional short form: Kazakstan local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy local short form: none former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: KZ
Type of government: republic
Capital: Almaty
Administrative divisions: 19 oblystar (singular - oblys) and 1 city (qalalar, singular - qala)*; Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola Oblysy, Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Kokshetau Oblysy, Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Semey Oblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Taldyqorghan Oblysy, Torghay Oblysy, Zhambyl Oblysy, Zhezqazghan Oblysy note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblys name
Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1991)
Constitution: adopted 28 January 1993; has been amended in April 1995 and August 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (since 22 February 1990) was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet 22 February 1990, and president by popular election 1 December 1991; was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); results - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV ran unopposed; note - President NAZARBAYEV's term was extended to the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995 head of government: Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12 October 1994) and First Deputy Prime Ministers Nigmatzhan ISINGARIN (since 12 October 1994) were appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister note: President NAZARBAYEV has expanded his presidential powers by decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: elections (indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) "independent" state officials 25, progovernment parties 11, other parties 2, vacant 9 (of which 7 are to be nominated by the president) Majilis: elections last held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next to be held NA); percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total) seats by party NA; note - 172 candidates were forwarded by parties and social organizations and 113 candidates were independents
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: ALASH party; People's Unity Party (PUP; was Union of People's Unity), Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman; Democratic Party, Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, cochairmen; People's Congress of Kazakstan (PCK), Olzhas SULEYMENOV, chairman; Socialist Party of Kazakstan (SPK; former Communist Party), Petr SVOIK, chairman; Communist Party, Baidabek TULEPBAYEV; National Democratic Party, Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman; AZAT party, Khasen KOZH-AKHMET, chairman; Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakstan; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakstan (KPU); Slavic Movement LAD, Aleksandra DOKUCHAYEVA, chairman; Party for Social Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic Party, Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman; People's Cooperative Party, Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party
Other political or pressure groups: Independent Trade Union Center, Leonid SOLOMIN, president; Kazakstani-American Bureau on Human Rights, Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director; Democratic Committee on Human Rights; Independent Miners Union
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat NURGALIYEV chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507 FAX: [1] (202) 333-4509
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan 480012 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-05, 63-13-75, 63-24-26 FAX: [7] (3272) 63-29-42
Flag: sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in yellow
Economy -------
Economic overview: Kazakstan, the second largest of the former Soviet states in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil-fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production. Kazakstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR and the collapse of demand for Kazakstan's traditional heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy since 1991, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. The government has pursued a moderate program of economic reform and privatization, resulting in a gradual lifting of state controls over economic activity and a shifting of assets into the private sector. Nevertheless, government control over key sectors of the economy remains strong. Moreover, continued lack of pipeline transportation for expanded oil exports has closed off a likely source of economic recovery.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $46.9 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP real growth rate: -8.9% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,700 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 28.5% industry: 41.5% services: 30% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60.3% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 7.356 million by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 26%, other 43% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 1.4% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers (September 1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials; much of industrial capacity is shut down and/or is in need of repair
Industrial production growth rate: -8% (1995)
Electricity: capacity: 17,380,000 kW production: 65.7 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,700 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture: grain, mostly spring wheat, cotton; wool, meat
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and North America from Southwest Asia
Exports: $5.1 billion (1995) commodities: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain, wool, meat, coal partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Imports: $3.9 billion (1995) commodities: machinery and parts, industrial materials, oil and gas partners: Russia and other former Soviet republics, China
External debt: $2.5 billion (of which $1.3 billion to Russia)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993) note: commitments, 1992-95, $4,780 million ($1,795 million disbursements)
Currency: national currency, the tenge, introduced on 15 November 1993
Exchange rates: tenges per US$1 - 64 (yearend 1995), 54 (yearend 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation --------------
Railways: total: 13,841 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 13,841 km 1.520-m gauge (3,299 km electrified) (1992)
Highways: total: 87,873 km public roads paved: 82,568 km unpaved: 5,305 km (1994)
Waterways: 4,002 km on the Syrdariya River and Ertis River
Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products 1,500 km; natural gas 3,480 km (1992)
Ports: Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Airports: total: 352 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 7 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 23 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 11 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 5 with paved runways under 914 m: 9 with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 9 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 8 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 25 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 65 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 190 (1994 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephones: 2.2 million
Telephone system: service is poor domestic: landline and microwave radio relay international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and a new satellite earth station established at Almaty of unknown type
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: 4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion 6.082 million)
Television broadcast stations: NA; Orbita (TV receive only) earth station
Televisions: 4.75 million
Defense -------
Branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops); Kazakstan may also be establishing a maritime force - navy or coast guard - on the Caspian Sea
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 4,399,356 males fit for military service: 3,516,583 males reach military age (18) annually: 154,750 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: 18.9 billion tenges, NA% of GDP (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
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@Kenya -----
Map ---
Location: 1 00 N, 38 00 E -- Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Flag ----
Description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
Geography ---------
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 582,650 sq km land area: 569,250 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries: total: 3,446 km border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior