Chapter 52

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, APO AE 09624 telephone : [39] (6) 46741 FAX: [39] (6) 5758346, 57300682

Flag description: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band

Economy

Economy - overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.

Labor force: NA by occupation: dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers who live outside the Vatican

Budget: revenues : $175.5 million expenditures: $175 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Electricity - capacity: 5,000 kW standby note : electricity supplied by Italy

Electricity - production: NA kWh note: electricity supplied by Italy

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Currency: 1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi

Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1 - 1568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992); note - the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira which circulates freely

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Holy See (Vatican City):Communications

Telephones: 2,000

Telephone system: automatic exchange domestic: tied into Italian system international: uses Italian system

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: NA

@Holy See (Vatican City):Transportation

Railways: total: 862 meters; note - connects to Italy's network at Rome's Saint Peter's station narrow gauge: 862 meters 1.435-m gauge

Highways: none; all city streets

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: none

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to Vatican City

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

HONDURAS

@Honduras:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 86 30 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 112,090 sq km land : 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries: total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Coastline: 820 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish

Land use: arable land : 15% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 14% forests and woodland: 54% other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 740 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast

Environment - current issues: urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of freshwater) with heavy metals as well as several rivers and streams

Environment - 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Desertification

@Honduras:People

Population: 5,751,384 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 42% (male 1,237,549; female 1,194,598) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,549,400; female 1,574,075) 65 years and over: 4% (male 93,695; female 102,067) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.55% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 32.63 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.66 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population : 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population : 68.81 years male: 66.38 years female: 71.37 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Languages: Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 72.7% male : 72.6% female: 72.7% (1995 est.)

@Honduras:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras local long form: Republica de Honduras local short form: Honduras

Data code: HO

Government type: republic

National capital: Tegucigalpa

Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) plus probable Central District (Tegucigalpa); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state: President Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (since 27 January 1994); First Vice President General (Ret.) Walter LOPEZ; Second Vice President Juan DE LA CRUZ Avelar; Third Vice President Guadeloupe JEREZANO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (since 27 January 1994) First Vice President General (Ret.) Walter LOPEZ; Second Vice President Juan DE LA CRUZ Avelar; Third Vice President Guadeloupe JEREZANO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 28 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1997) election results: Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez elected president; percent of vote - Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (PLH) 53%, Oswaldo RAMOS Soto (PNH) 41%, other 6%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (128 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held on 27 November 1993 (next to be held November 1997) election results: percent of vote by party - PNH 53%, PLH 41%, PDCH 1.0%, PINU-SD 2.5%, other 2.5%; seats by party - PLH 71, PNH 55, PINU-SD 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica), judges are elected for four-year terms by the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH), Carlos FLORES Facusse, president; National Party of Honduras (PNH), Oswaldo RAMOS Soto, president; National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU), Olban VALLADARES, president; Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Efrain DIAZ Arrivillaga, president

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH); Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP); Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH); National Union of Campesinos (UNC); General Workers Confederation (CGT); United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH); Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH); Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez chancery: 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702, 2604, 5008, 4596 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general : Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James Francis CREAGAN (29 July 1996) embassy : Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 36-9320, 38-5114 FAX: [504] 36-9037

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy

Economy - overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture employs nearly two-thirds of the labor force and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Manufacturing, mining, and construction account for 30 % of GDP and generate 20% of exports. Basic problems include rapid population growth, high underemployment, inflation, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and the dependence of the export sector mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.5 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 28% industry: 30% services: 42% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 25.4% (1996)

Labor force: total: 1.3 million by occupation: agriculture 62%, services 20%, manufacturing 9%, construction 3%, other 6% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 15%; underemployed about 40% (1996 est.)

Budget: revenues: $655 million expenditures: $850 million, including capital expenditures of $150 million (1997 est.)

Industries: sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1992 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 605,900 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 2.742 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 361 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp;

Exports: total value: $2.401 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber partners : US 65%, Germany 7%, Japan 7%, Spain 3%, Belgium 2%

Imports: total value: $3.133 billion (c.i.f. 1996) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs partners : US 50%, Guatemala 5%, Japan 5%, Mexico 3%, El Salvador 3%

Debt - external: $4.6 billion (1995)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1 (end of period) - 13.0330 (January 1997), 12.8694 (1996), 10.3432 (1995), 9.4001 (1994), 7.2600 (1993), 5.8300 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Honduras:Communications

Telephones: 105,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: inadequate system domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations: AM 176, FM 0, shortwave 7

Radios: 2.115 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 28

Televisions: 400,000 (1992 est.)

@Honduras:Transportation

Railways: total: 595 km narrow gauge: 190 km 1.067-m gauge; 128 km 1.057-m gauge; 277 km 0.914-m gauge note: in 1993, there was a total of 988 km of track (1995)

Highways: total: 15,100 km paved: 3,050 km unpaved: 12,050 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft

Ports and harbors: La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela, Puerto Lempira

Merchant marine: total: 251 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 714,755 GRT/1,066,043 DWT ships by type: bulk 28, cargo 153, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 3, oil tanker 21, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 22, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 1 note: a flag of convenience registry; Russia owns 8 ships, Vietnam 3, North Korea 2, Greece 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, Iran 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 107 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 88 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m : 5 under 914 m: 78 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 19 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,370,116 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 816,054 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 66,304 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $42.5 million (1997)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: about 1.5% (1997)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: land boundary dispute with El Salvador mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; maritime boundary dispute with Nicaragua

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption ______________________________________________________________________

HONG KONG

(dependent territory of the UK)

@Hong Kong:Geography

Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative: six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km

Coastline: 733 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Land use: arable land: 6% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland : 22% other: 70% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: more than 200 islands

@Hong Kong:People

Population: 6,547,189 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 629,981; female 584,807) 15-64 years: 71% (male 2,319,009; female 2,348,794) 65 years and over: 10% (male 299,503; female 365,095) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.59% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 12.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 18.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.71 years male: 75.98 years female: 81.62 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%

Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population : 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.)

@Hong Kong:Government

Country name: conventional long form : none conventional short form: Hong Kong abbreviation : HK

Data code: HK

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK; note - scheduled to revert to China on 1 July 1997

Government type: NA

National capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

Constitution: the Letters Patent together with the Royal Instructions form the written constitution of Hong Kong; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for scheduled reversion to China on 1 July 1997

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies

Executive branch: chief of state : Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor and President of the Executive Council Christopher Francis PATTEN (since 9 July 1992); Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by popular vote, and 10 elected by election committee; members serve four-year terms); note - the Legislative Council will be replaced by a provisional legislature on 1 July 1997 elections: indirect and direct elections last held 17 September 1995; note - elections for the first post-reversion Legislative Council are scheduled to be held in 1998 election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 21, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 23; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows - Democratic Party 19, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 25

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Martin LEE, chairman; Liberal Party, Allen LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, TSANG Yuk-shing, chairman; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation, Dr. Patrick SHIU Kin-ying, chairman

Political pressure groups and leaders: Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL), Frederick FUNG Kin Kee, chairman; Liberal Democratic Federation, HU Fa-kuang, chairman; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), LEE Chark-tim, president; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy), LEE Cheuk-yan, chairman; Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, CHEUNG Man-kwong, president; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, Szeto WAH, chairman

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS (pending member), CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General Richard A. BOUCHER consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX : [852] 2845-1598

Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield note: to be replaced on 1 July 1997 by a red flag with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Economy

Economy - overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing and construction account for about 18% of GDP. Goods and services exports account for about 50% of GDP. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, slowed to 3.0% in 1989-90, and picked up to 4.2% in 1991, 5.0% in 1992, 5.2% in 1993, 5.5% in 1994, 4.8% in 1995, and 4.7% in 1996. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Prospects for 1997 remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous and so long as investors feel China will support free market practices after the takeover on 1 July 1997.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $163.6 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 0.2% industry: 18.4% services: 81.4% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 6.5% (1996)

Labor force: total: 3.251 million (1996) by occupation: wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 34.4%, services 19.8%, manufacturing 14.2%, financing, insurance, and real estate 12.4%, transport and communications 5.1%, construction 2.1%, other 12% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1996 est.)

Budget: revenues: $19 billion expenditures: $14.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $289 million (FY95/96 est.)

Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Industrial production growth rate: -2.6% (1996)