Chapter 123
@West Bank:Communications
Telephones: NA note: 3.1% of Palestinian households have telephones
Telephone system: domestic: NA international : NA note: Israeli company BEZEK is responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA; note - 82% of Palestinian households have radios (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 note: 1 broadcast station is planned for Jericho
Televisions: NA; note - 54% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.)
@West Bank:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small road network; Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: NA
Military manpower - fit for military service: males : NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation ______________________________________________________________________
WESTERN SAHARA
@Western Sahara:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates: 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline: 1,110 km
Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point : unnamed location 463 m
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
Land use: arable land : 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
Environment - current issues: sparse water and arable land
Environment - international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Western Sahara:People
Population: 228,138 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years : NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 2.43% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.14 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 17.53 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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
Infant mortality rate: 142.75 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.71 years male: 46.66 years female: 49.09 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic groups: Arab, Berber
Religions: Muslim
Languages: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy: NA
@Western Sahara:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara
Data code: WI
Government type: legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991
National capital: none
Administrative divisions: none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Suffrage: none; a UN sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Executive branch: none
International organization participation: none
Diplomatic representation in the US: none
Diplomatic representation from the US: none
Economy
Economy - overview: Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%-45% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: total: 12,000 by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 56,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 85 million kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by the nomads)
Exports: $NA commodities: phosphates 62% partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports: $NA commodities: fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs partners : Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient : ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.018 (January 1997), 8.716 (1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Western Sahara:Communications
Telephones: 2,000
Telephone system: sparse and limited system domestic: NA international: tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: NA
@Western Sahara:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 6,200 km paved : 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est.)
Ports and harbors: Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, El Aaiun
Airports: 12 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : NA
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991 ______________________________________________________________________
WESTERN SAMOA
@Western Samoa:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 13 35 S, 172 20 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 2,860 sq km land: 2,850 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
Land use: arable land : 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Environment - current issues: soil erosion
Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements
@Western Samoa:People
Population: 219,509 (July 1997 est.) note: other estimates range as low as 162,000
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (male 44,281; female 42,876) 15-64 years: 56% (male 64,433; female 59,006) 65 years and over : 4% (male 4,225; female 4,688) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.34% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 30.4 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 69.09 years male: 66.7 years female : 71.6 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.82 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Western Samoan(s) adjective: Western Samoan
Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
Religions: Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population : 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.)
@Western Samoa:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa conventional short form: Western Samoa
Data code: WS
Government type: constitutional monarchy under native chief
National capital: Apia
Administrative divisions: 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Independence: 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: National Day, 1 June (1962)
Constitution: 1 January 1962
Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state : Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963) head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988); Deputy Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since NA 1992) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice elections : upon the death of Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 1996 (next to be held 26 April 2001) election results : percent of vote by party - HRPP 45.17%, SNDP 27.1%, independents 23.7%; seats by party - HRPP 25, SNDP 13, independents 11
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 FAX : [1] (212) 599-0797
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia telephone : [685] 21631 FAX: [685] 22030
Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy of Western Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. Increasingly, tourism is becoming a significant source of revenue, earning approximately $34 million in 1995. While registering an overall economic improvement in 1995, however, the country continues to struggle with a series of natural disasters from the early 1990s which wiped out the nation's infrastructure as well as its then-major export crop, taro root. Agriculture continues to be a key source of wealth for Apia, employing more than one-half of the labor force, and furnishing 90% of exports. The bulk of these export earnings comes from the sale of coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. Family remittances also play a key role in economic viability for the island nation - in 1995, remittances totaled $34.9 million, four times export earnings. The economy did well in 1996, supported by a steady flow of foreign aid and remittances.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.7% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,900 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 50% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1% (1995)
Labor force: total: 45,635 (1986 est.) by occupation : agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $118 million expenditures : $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)
Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 29,000 kW (1990)
Electricity - production: 60 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 287 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams
Exports: total value: $8.7 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities : coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa partners: New Zealand 44%, Australia 22%, American Samoa, Germany
Imports: total value: $91 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners : New Zealand 37%, Australia 21%, US/American Samoa 13%
Debt - external: $178.3 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA; $8.7 million bilateral aid from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $5 million bilateral aid from NZ (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.4570 (January 1997), 2.4618 (1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Western Samoa:Communications
Telephones: 7,500 (1988 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 76,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 6,000 (1992 est.)
@Western Samoa:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total : 2,030 km paved: 373 km unpaved: 1,657 km (1988 est.)
Ports and harbors: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
Merchant marine: total : 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT (1996 est.)
Airports: 3 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total : 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: NA
Military manpower - fit for military service: males : NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________
WORLD [Map of World]
@World:Geography
Map references: World, Time Zones
Area: total: 510.072 million sq km land: 148.94 million sq km water: 361.132 million sq km note : 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land
Area - comparative: land area about 15 times the size of the US
Land boundaries: the land boundaries in the world total 251,480.24 km (not counting shared boundaries twice)
Coastline: 356,000 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm claimed by most but can vary continental shelf: 200-m depth claimed by most or to depth of exploitation, others claim 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive fishing zone : 200 nm claimed by most but can vary exclusive economic zone: 200 nm claimed by most but can vary territorial sea: 12 nm claimed by most but can vary note: boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm; 43 nations and other areas that are landlocked include Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Climate: two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
Terrain: the greatest ocean depth is the Marianas Trench at 10,924 m in the Pacific Ocean
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m
Natural resources: the rapid using up of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern Europe and the former USSR) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 32% other: 31% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,481,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)
Environment - current issues: large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion
Environment - international agreements: selected international environmental agreements are included under the Environment - international agreements entry for each country and in the Selected International Environmental Agreements appendix
@World:People
Population: 5,849,699,041 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 922,447,462; female 877,221,909) 15-64 years: 63% (male 1,856,697,495; female 1,808,219,116) 65 years and over: 6% (male 166,513,212; female 218,599,847)
Population growth rate: 1.4% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63 years male: 61 years female: 64 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1997 est.)
@World:Government
Data code: none; there is no FIPS 10-4 country code for the World, so the Factbook uses the "W" data code from DIAM 65-18 "Geopolitical Data Elements and Related Features," Data Standard No. 3, March 1984, published by the Defense Intelligence Agency; see the Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes appendix
Administrative divisions: 266 nations, dependent areas, other, and miscellaneous entries
Legal system: varies by individual country; 186 (not including Yugoslavia) are parties to the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ or World Court)
Economy