Chapter 56
Environment--international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography--note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
People
Population: 272,512 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (male 32,608; female 31,061) 15-64 years: 65% (male 89,258; female 87,449) 65 years and over: 12% (male 14,510; female 17,626) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.57% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 14.87 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.01 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
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)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.96 years male: 76.85 years female: 81.19 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)
Languages: Icelandic
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (1976 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lyoveldio Island local short form: Island
Data code: IC
Government type: constitutional republic
Capital: Reykjavik
Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular--kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 29 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON elected president; percent of vote--41.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 8 April 1995 (next to be held by April 1999) election results: percent of vote by party--Independence Party 37.1%, Progressive Party 23.3%, Social Democratic Party 11.4%, Socialists 14.3%, People's Movement 7.2%, Women's Party 4.9%; seats by party--Independence 25, Progressive 15, Social Democratic 7, Socialists 9, People's Movement 4, Women's Party 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Haestirettur, justices are appointed for life by the president
Political parties and leaders: Independence Party (conservative)
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jon-Baldvin HANNIBALSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Day Olin MOUNT embassy: Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340
Flag description: blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Economy--overview: Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system, low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. The economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 75% of export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. In the absence of other natural resources--except energy--Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to drops in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. The center-right government plans to continue its policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale-watching. Growth is likely to slow in 1999, to a still respectable 4.6%.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$6.06 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5.1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$22,400 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 13% industry: 24% services: 63% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (1998)
Labor force: 130,000 (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: manufacturing 12.9%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, construction 10.7%, other services 59.5%, agriculture 5.1% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.9 billion expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $146 million (1996 est.)
Industries: fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 5.048 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 0.06% hydro: 93.43% nuclear: 0% other: 6.51%
Electricity--consumption: 5.532 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: potatoes, turnips; cattle, sheep; fish
Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite and ferrosilicon
Exports--partners: EU 60% (UK 19%, Germany 13%, France 6%, Denmark 6%), US 14% (1997)
Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports--partners: EU 58% (Germany 12%, Norway 12%, UK 10%, Denmark 9%, Sweden 7%), US 9% (1997)
Debt--external: $2.2 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--69.250 (January 1999), 70.958 (1998), 70.904 (1997), 66.500 (1996), 64.692 (1995), 69.944 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 143,600 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: adequate domestic service domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note--Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 147 (transmitters and repeaters), shortwave 0
Radios: 91,500 licensed (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 14 (in addition, there are 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 96,100 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 12,691 km paved: 3,262 km unpaved: 9,429 km (1997 est.)
Ports and harbors: Akureyri, Hornafjordur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,085 GRT/16,938 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 1, container 1, oil tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 87 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 77 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 53 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard; note--Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 70,958 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 62,570 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: none
Military--note: Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
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@India -----
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries: total: 14,103 km border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline: 7,000 km
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: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone
Land use: arable land: 56% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 23% other: 16% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 480,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes
Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources
Environment--international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
People
Population: 1,000,848,550 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (male 175,463,726; female 165,722,164) 15-64 years: 61% (male 318,004,920; female 295,245,556) 65 years and over: 5% (male 23,571,270; female 22,840,914) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.68% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 25.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 60.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.4 years male: 62.54 years female: 64.29 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
Religions: Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%
Languages: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani (a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India) note: 24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52% male: 65.5% female: 37.7% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India
Data code: IN
Government type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative divisions: 25 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)
Constitution: 26 January 1950
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held NA March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president; percent of electoral college vote--NA; Krishnan KANT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote--NA; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE elected prime minister; percent of vote--NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: People's Assembly--last held 16 February through 7 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: People's Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--BJP 178, Congress (I) Party 141, CPI/M 32, SP 20, ADMK 18, RJD 17, Telugu Desam 12, SAP 12, CPI 9, BJD 9, Akali Dal factions 8, Trinamool Congress 7, SHS 6, DMK 6, Janata Dal Party 6, BSP 5, RSP 5, independents and others 44, vacant 8, appointed by the president 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65
Political parties and leaders: Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Muslim League factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab; National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir) NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Ananda Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note--Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi mailing address: use embassy street address consulate(s) general: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
Economy
Economy--overview: India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. 67% of India's labor force work in agriculture, which contributes 25% of the country's GDP. Production, trade, and investment reforms since 1991 have provided new opportunities for Indian businesspersons and an estimated 300 million middle class consumers. New Delhi has avoided debt rescheduling, attracted foreign investment, and revived confidence in India's economic prospects since 1991. Many of the country's fundamentals--including savings rates (26% of GDP) and reserves (now about $30 billion)--are healthy. Even so, the Indian Government needs to restore the early momentum of reform, especially by continuing reductions in the extensive remaining government regulations. India's exports, currency, and foreign institutional investment were affected by the East Asian crisis in late 1997 and 1998; but capital account controls, a low ratio of short-term debt to reserves, and enhanced supervision of the financial sector helped insulate it from near term balance-of-payments problems. Exports fell 5% in 1998 mainly because of the fall in Asian currencies relative to the rupee. Energy, telecommunications, and transportation bottlenecks continue to constrain growth. A series of weak coalition governments have lacked the political strength to push reforms forward to address these and other problems. Indian think tanks project GDP growth of about 4.5% in 1999. Inflation will remain a worrisome problem.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.689 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5.4% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,720 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 25% industry: 30% services: 45% (1997)
Population below poverty line: 35% (1994 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 25% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1998 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 67%, services 18%, industry 15% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $42.12 billion expenditures: $63.79 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.8 billion (FY98/99 budget est.)
Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery
Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (1997)
Electricity--production: 404.475 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 80.35% hydro: 17.8% nuclear: 1.83% other: 0.02% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 406.02 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 130 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
Exports: $32.17 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures
Exports--partners: US 19%, Hong Kong 6%, UK 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (1997)
Imports: $41.34 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports--commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports--partners: US 10%, Belgium 7%, UK 7%, Germany 7%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (1997)
Debt--external: $93 billion (1998)
Economic aid--recipient: $1.604 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--42.508 (January 1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 12 million (1996)