The 1997 CIA World Factbook

Airports - with paved runways: total: 60 over 3,047 m : 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m : 47 (1996 est.)

Exports: total value : $22.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum 72%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures partners:...

International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,...

Geography - note: important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean;...

Land boundaries: total: 4,415 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Economy - overview: Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around Black Sea tourism; cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and out...

Economy - overview: One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agri...

Economy - overview: Real global output - gross world product (GWP) - rose an estimated 3.6% in 1996, with the newly industrializing Third World countries again setting the pace....

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre' Maurice PIHOUEE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Ibrahim DINDAN]; Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Pau...

Currency: introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which circulated parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal currency 31 January 1994; was replaced in Ju...

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 52,239; female 50,025) 15-64 years: 63% (male 101,326; female 90,941) 65 years and over: 4% (male 7,207; female 5,878) (July 1997 est.)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 elected by the state legislatures;...

Age structure: 0-14 years: 14% (male 4,788; female 4,452) 15-64 years : 74% (male 25,291; female 21,807) 65 years and over: 12% (male 3,903; female 3,759) (July 1997 est.)

Economy - overview: The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its essentially capitalistic economy ranks among the four largest in Western Eur...

Railways: total : 3,569 km (1995) narrow gauge: 2,600 km 1.000-m gauge; 969 km 1.067-m gauge note: the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.0...

Environment - current issues: land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies co...

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male...

Telephone system: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities domestic: nationwide cellula...

Telephone system: reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged facilities have been rebuilt domestic: the network consists of co...

Exports: total value : $197.2 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clo...

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis...

Administrative divisions: 25 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan,...

Airports - with paved runways: total : 10 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond L. FLYNN embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via Delle Terme Deciane 26, Rome 00153 mailing address: PSC 59, AP...

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organi...

Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 3,387,450; female 3,356,237) 15-64 years: 51% (male 3,712,809; female 3,736,245) 65 years and over: 3% (male 219,975; female 264,894) (July...

Net migration rate: -7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: in 1994, about a million refugees fled into Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, to escape t...

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic or LDS [Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman]; Slovene Christian Democrats or SKD [Lozje PETERLE, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Slo...

Waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), use...

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system to serve six-year terms) elec...

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interp...

Environment - current issues: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands W...

Exports: total value: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum 75%, reexports, fish, processed copper, textiles partners: Japan 32%, South Korea 16%, Thailand 12%...

Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador Gen...

Telephone system: probably the least adequate telephone system of any of the industrializing countries; three of every four villages have no telephone service; only 5% of India'...

Executive branch: chief of state : President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of governme...

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB...

Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Pr...

Geography - note: two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleg...

Telephone system: good domestic facilities; good international service domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and t...

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Michel GBEZERA-BRIA (since January 1997) cabinet: Council of...

Highways: total: 23,000 km paved: 18,300 km (note - these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced unpaved: 4,700...

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989) head of government:...

Executive branch: chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) cabin...

Environment - current issues: natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industria...

Exports: total value: $35.4 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery, food, electronics, beverages and tobacco partners: US 46.6%, UK 26.4%, Caricom nations 9.8% (1994)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 2,636,509; female 2,602,984) 15-64 years : 49% (male 2,515,266; female 2,799,542) 65 years and over: 3% (male 146,267; female 190,591) (July...

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996) head of government:...

Economy - overview: As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago its GDP per capita was comparable with le...

Area: total: 504,750 sq km land: 499,400 sq km water: 5,350 sq km note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and of...

Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by...

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal distri...

Telephone system: service is poor domestic: landline and microwave radio relay international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landl...

Economic aid: recipient: although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the general revenues of the US Federal Treasury into which Guamanian...

Judicial branch: US District Court, handles civil matters over $200,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; judges are appointed by the president; T...

Political parties and leaders: People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Here Ai'a Party) [Jean JUVE...

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 9,287; female 9,115) 15-64 years: 63% (male 21,364; female 20,617) 65 years and over : 9% (male 2,569; female 3,681) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(...

Historical perspective: on 29 May 1991, ISAIAS Afworke, secretary general of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served as the country's legislative...

Disputes - international: the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders; Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence fr...

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protectio...

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 mal...

Airports - with paved runways: total: 80 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m : 59 (1996 est.)

Environment - current issues: deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been cleared by the timber industry); water pollution from se...

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 379,158; female 371,008) 15-64 years: 53% (male 444,523; female 465,510) 65 years and over: 4% (male 28,743; female 38,241) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: NA male(s)/female under 15 years: NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female total population: NA male(s)/female

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population : 1.05 male(s...

Sex ratio: at birth : NA male(s)/female under 15 years: NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female total population: NA male(s)/female

Executive branch: chief of state: President Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996); note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the c...

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS [Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; Latvia's Way or LC [Valdis BIRKAVS]; For Latvia [Joachim SIEGERIST]; Fatherland a...

Administrative divisions: 79 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman,...

Flag description: red with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white w...

Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura,...

Highways: total: 32,105 km paved: 26,005 km (including 2,044 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,100 km (1994 est.) note : many of the roads reported as paved may be graveled

Economy - overview: This small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for more than 60% of the labor...

Flag description: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield...

Economy - overview: The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, which directly or indirectly employs most of the work force. Dairy farming supports dome...

Geography - note: consists of about 360 small coral islands with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some reclaimed land was leased by US Government from 1941 to...

Economy - overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of inde...

Geography - note: mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna which for the most part is not threatened because of the lack of development; relatively small...

Environment - international agreements: party to : Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Bi...

Administrative divisions: 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Atti...

Climate: equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,760 m); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but i...

Environment - current issues: desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is...

Political parties and leaders: legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based; emerging parties include Democratic and Social Rep...

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Claude MOREL chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of Seyc...

Disputes - international: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; with respect to the maritime boundary questio...

Electricity--consumption per capita: This entry gives the figure for annual electricity generation plus net imports or minus net exports, divided by total population for the sam...

Disputes - international: maritime boundary disputes with the US (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus...

Administrative divisions: 6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyen...

Executive branch: chief of state : President Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamente (since 6 August 1993); Vice President Victor Hugo CARDENAS Conde (since 6 August 1993); note -...

International organization participation: AG (observer), BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC...

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale consists of the Council of States or Germ...

Government - note: Until declaring independence in spring 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina existed as a republic in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Bosnia was partitioned by fig...

Disputes - international: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is...

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered by the US Navy, under Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division; this facility has been...

Telephone system: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radi...

Administrative divisions: 33 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture) and 1 national capital* (capitale d'etat); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Din...

Economy - overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has success...

Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation when citizens sc...

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...

Political pressure groups and leaders: Federal Chamber of Trade and Commerce; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist) or OeGB; three composite leagues of the Austr...

Area: total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignator...

Disputes - international: dispute with Romania over continental shelf of the Black Sea under which significant gas and oil deposits may exist; agreed to two-year negotiating per...

Administrative divisions: 44 regions (rajonai, singular - rajonas) and 11 municipalities*: Akmenes Rajonas, Alytaus Rajonas, Alytus*, Anyksciu Rajonas, Birsionas*, Birzu Rajonas...

Current issues: Tajikistan has experienced three changes of government since it gained independence in September 1991. The current president, Emomali RAHMONOV, was elected in No...

Imports: total value : $3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery and equipment 29%, foodstuffs 14%, minerals 13%, textiles 13%, metals 12% (1995) partners: Finland, Rus...

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (276 members serve five-year terms; 214 directly elected by universal suffrage, but 62 are nominated by legally established spec...

Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha,...

Administrative divisions: 72 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*...

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)...

Administrative divisions: 49 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast'), 21 autonomous republics* (avtonomnyk respublik, singular - avtonomnaya respublika), 10 autonomous okrugs**(a...

Executive branch: chief of state: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994); note - the president is bot...

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party or SDP; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV, chairman]; National Unity; Communist Party of Kyrgyzsta...

Political parties and leaders: Al-Ahrar (Liberals) Party, Ahmad al-ZU'BI, secretary general; Al-Taqaddumi (Progressive) Party, Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general; Constitutional...

Executive branch: chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 12 October 1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both t...

Political parties and leaders: Committee of Living Forces or CFV, an alliance of National Union for Development and Democracy or UNDD [Emmanuel RAKOTOVAHINY, president], Support...

Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of steel and nonferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor...

Independence: none (territory of Portugal; Portugal signed an agreement with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999; in the joint declaration, China...

Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Arctic Ocean Argentina Armenia Aruba Ashmore and Cartier Islands Atlantic Ocean...

Exports: total value: $819.5 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: cotton, soybeans, timber, vegetable oils, meat products, coffee, tung oil partners: EU 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentin...

Exports: total value : $151.07 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: clothing, miscellaneous consumer goods, fabrics, footwear, toys, electrical machinery and switchgear (1995) pa...

Internal register is a register of ships maintained as a subset of a national register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag and have that nationality but are su...

Sex ratio: at birth: NA male(s)/female under 15 years: NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female total population: NA male(s)/female

Executive branch: chief of state: President LI Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988, elected by the National A...