Chapter 125
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 30 March 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Willie JIMMY (since 19 October 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 2 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Jean Marie LEYE elected president; percent of electoral college vote--NA; Donald KALPOKAS elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 35 votes; other candidate, Rialuth Serge VOHOR, received 17 votes note: the general legislative elections in November 1995 did not give a majority to any of the political parties; since the election, there have been four changes of government--all of which have been coalitions formed by Parliamentary vote; Rialuth Serge VOHOR was prime minister from November 1995 until he resigned 7 February 1996 when faced with a no-confidence vote in Parliament; Maxime Carlot KORMAN was then elected prime minister and served until he was ousted in a no-confidence motion on 30 September 1996; VOHOR was then elected prime minister for a second time; as a result of legislative elections in March 1998, KALPOKAS was elected prime minister and formed a coalition government with Father LINI's National United Party (NUP)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--VP 18, UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note--political party associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government since the November 1995 elections note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Political parties and leaders: Union of Moderate Parties or UMP
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow
Economy
Economy--overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$240 million (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 23% industry: 13% services: 64% (1996)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $94.4 million expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)
Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial production growth rate: 6.4% (1996 est.)
Electricity--production: 30 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 30 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef
Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports--commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee
Exports--partners: Japan 28%, Spain 21%, Germany 14%, UK 7%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, Australia, New Caledonia (1996 est.)
Imports: $97 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities: machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic manufactures, raw materials and fuels, chemicals
Imports--partners: Japan 47%, Australia 23%, Singapore 8%, New Zealand 6%, France 3%, Fiji (1996 est.)
Debt--external: $63 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $45.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1--129.66 (January 1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996), 112.11 (1995), 116.41 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 4,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 49,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 2,000 (1994 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
Merchant marine: total: 82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,327,078 GRT/1,764,558 DWT ships by type: bulk 31, cargo 24, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 11, vehicle carrier 6 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries among which are ships of Japan 28, India 10, US 10, Greece 3, Hong Kong 3, Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, and France 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 32 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia
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@Venezuela ---------
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 34% other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; periodic droughts
Environment--current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography--note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
People
Population: 23,203,466 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 3,988,499; female 3,741,568) 15-64 years: 62% (male 7,231,546; female 7,184,769) 65 years and over: 5% (male 484,071; female 573,013) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.71% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.25 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.93 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.51 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.95 years male: 69.97 years female: 76.16 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.1% male: 91.8% female: 90.3% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela
Data code: VE
Government type: republic
Capital: Caracas
Administrative divisions: 22 states (estados, singular--estado),1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution: 23 January 1961
Legal system: based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003) election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias elected president; percent of vote--NA%
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica consists of the Senate or Senado (52 seats, two from each state and the federal district (46), one for each of the retired presidents, and others representing minorities (6); members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (207 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate--last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003); Chamber of Deputies--last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--AD 16, COPEI 14, Causa R 9, National Convergence 5, MAS 3, independents 5; note--two former presidents (1 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime Senate seats; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by party--AD 25.6%, COPEI 24.6%, MAS 10.6%, National Convergence 8.7%, Causa R 19.3%; seats by party--AD 53, COPEI 51, Causa R 40, MAS 22, National Convergence 18, other 23
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), magistrates are elected by both chambers in joint session for a nine-year term, one-third are reelected every three years
Political parties and leaders: National Convergence or Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ, secretary general]; ALFARO Ucero, secretary general]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS
Political pressure groups and leaders: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups
International organization participation: CAN, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Francis MAISTO embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1060 mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
Economy
Economy--overview: The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. As a result, the steep downturn in international oil prices has had a severe impact on the economy; fiscal cuts spurred by the loss of revenues, high interest rates, and the sharp downturn in export earnings drove the economy into recession in 1998. The recession continued into 1999 with oil prices forecast to stay relatively low, but rising. Although the government has pursued moderate austerity measures to address the downturn in revenues, Venezuela's ongoing reform program has largely stalled. Pressure on the bolivar--overvalued by as much as 40%--was also significant through much of 1998, increasing the probability of an adjustment of the currency in 1999. Newly elected President Hugo CHAVEZ will be hard pressed to address Venezuela's many economic ills. He has promised to strike a balance between reforms designed to address the structural deformities of the economy and addressing declining living standards. CHAVEZ has sought to play down the populism that marked his political campaign for the presidency in an effort to allay investor concerns. The wide range of viewpoints represented on CHAVEZ's economic team is likely to make rapid implementation of a coherent policy difficult.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$194.5 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -0.9% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$8,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 63% services: 33% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 31.3% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.5% highest 10%: 35.6% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 29.9% (1998)
Labor force: 9.2 million
Labor force--by occupation: services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $11.99 billion expenditures: $11.48 billion, including capital expenditures of $3 billion (1996 est.)
Industries: petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1995 est.)
Electricity--production: 73 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 20.55% hydro: 79.45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 72.85 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 150 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $16.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures (1998)
Exports--partners: US and Puerto Rico 57%, Colombia, Brazil (1997)
Imports: $12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials (1998)
Imports--partners: US 53%, Japan, Colombia, Italy, Germany (1997)
Debt--external: $26.5 billion (1996)
Economic aid--recipient: $50.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1--570.267 (January 1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997), 417.333 (1996), 176.843 (1995), 148.503 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.44 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 181, FM 0, shortwave 26
Radios: 9.04 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 66 (in addition, there are 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 3.3 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 584 km (248 km privately owned) standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways: total: 84,300 km paved: 33,214 km unpaved: 51,086 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km
Ports and harbors: Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
Merchant marine: total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 535,882 GRT/937,461 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 9, combination bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 8, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 371 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 122 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 59 under 914 m: 16 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 249 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 94 under 914 m: 145 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 6,268,982 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,522,757 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 242,362 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $1.1 billion (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, opium, and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; important money-laundering hub; active eradication program primarily targeting opium
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@Vietnam -------
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Ngoc Linh 3,143 m
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests
Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 30% other: 48% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 18,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding
Environment--current issues: logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban