The 2010 CIA World Factbook

1 United Arab Emirates 2.75 2010 est. 2 Qatar 2.44 2010 est. 3 United Arab Emirates 2.20 2010 est. 4 Montserrat 2.03 2010 est. 5 Qatar 1.99 2010 est. 6 United Arab Emirates 1.80...

1 Zimbabwe 30,000.00 NA 2 Sao Tome and Principe 19,641.00 NA 3 Vietnam 19,148.90 NA 4 Vietnam 17,799.60 NA 5 Vietnam 16,548.30 NA 6 Vietnam 16,119.00 NA 7 Sao Tome and Principe...

1 Mauritania 100.00 NA 2 Pitcairn Islands 100.00 NA 3 Saudi Arabia 100.00 NA 4 Turkey 99.80 NA 5 Gaza Strip 99.30 NA 6 Algeria 99.00 NA 7 Wallis and Futuna 99.00 NA 8 Saint Pier...

1 Saint Lucia 83.44 2009 2 Greenland 74.93 2009 3 Laos 66.20 2009 4 Bhutan 63.00 2008 5 Zimbabwe 62.24 2009 6 Sao Tome and Principe 58.90 2009 7 Curacao 57.30 2009 est. 8 Kyrgyz...

Zimbabwe The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the governmen...

1 United States 5,194.00 2010 2 United States 2,316.00 2010 3 European Union 1,992.00 2010 4 United States 1,479.00 2010 5 United States 975.00 2010 6 Brazil 726.00 2010 7 Russi...

1 Chad 90.06 2009 2 Bhutan 86.30 2008 3 Mexico 80.50 2009 4 Haiti 79.76 2009 5 Mongolia 78.52 2009 6 Djibouti 76.68 2009 7 Canada 75.02 2009 8 Nepal 65.60 2009 9 Saint Kitts and...

1 China 22,117.00 NA 2 Russia 20,241.50 NA 3 Brazil 16,885.00 NA 4 India 14,103.00 NA 5 European Union 12,440.80 NA 6 Kazakhstan 12,185.00 NA 7 United States 12,034.00 NA 8 Cong...

1 Lesotho 99.70 NA 2 Mozambique 99.66 NA 3 Egypt 99.60 2006 census 4 Zambia 99.50 2000 Census 5 Morocco 99.10 NA 6 Algeria 99.00 NA 7 Gambia, The 99.00 2003 census 8 Togo 99.00...

Jamaica 0-14 years: 31.4% (male 451,310/female 436,466) 15-64 years: 61.1% (male 851,372/female 875,132) 65 years and over: 7.5% (male 94,833/female 116,815) (2010 est.)

Haiti at birth: 1.011 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/f...

Turkey total: 88 over 3,047 m: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all...

Pacific Ocean the Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state); the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial water...

This entry is the total natural gas consumed in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or ex...

Haiti total: 54.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 58.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.83 deaths/1,000 live births note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly f...

1 American Samoa 100.00 2001 2 Antigua and Barbuda 100.00 2001 3 Bahamas, The 100.00 2001 4 Aruba 100.00 2001 5 Barbados 100.00 2001 6 Bermuda 100.00 2001 7 Botswana 100.00 2001...

This entry provides the annual quantity of water in cubic kilometers removed from available sources for use in any purpose. Water drawn-off is not necessarily entirely consumed...

1 United Arab Emirates 78.70 2010 est. 2 Qatar 76.80 2010 est. 3 Singapore 76.70 2010 est. 4 Macau 76.20 2010 est. 5 Hong Kong 74.60 2010 est. 6 British Virgin Islands 74.40 201...

This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic meters (cu m). Proved reserves are those quantities of natural gas, which, by analysis of geological and engin...

This entry includes the number of males for each female in five age groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at...

Burundi Saudi Arabia 16.87%, Belgium 11.17%, Uganda 8.62%, Kenya 7.57%, China 5.66%, France 5.35%, Germany 4.46%, India 4.24%, Tanzania 4.21% (2009)

Zimbabwe 0-14 years: 43.9% (male 2,523,119/female 2,473,928) 15-64 years: 52.2% (male 2,666,928/female 3,283,474) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 194,360/female 250,820) (2010 est.)

This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index th...

This entry lists the number of Internet hosts available within a country. An Internet host is a computer connected directly to the Internet; normally an Internet Service Provide...

This entry is the total oil consumed in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is...

Bhutan ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 46.6 (2009), 41.487 (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee

The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The...

This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. When available, official lengths published by...

Albania $23.95 billion (2010 est.) $23.23 billion (2009 est.) $22.49 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that m...

Thailand at birth: 1.054 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s...

1 Gibraltar 100.00 2008 2 Macau 97.10 2009 est. 3 Jersey 97.00 2005 4 Cayman Islands 95.40 1994 est. 5 Monaco 95.10 2005 6 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 95.00 1996 7 Equator...

World definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82% male: 87% female: 77% note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in...

This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income...

Belgium 1.75% (31 December 2009) 3% (31 December 2008) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in...

1 Anguilla 100.00 2005 2 Antarctica 100.00 2005 3 Bouvet Island 100.00 2005 4 Ashmore and Cartier Islands 100.00 2005 5 British Indian Ocean Territory 100.00 2005 6 Clipperton I...

Taiwan red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the...

World developed countries 2.5% developing countries 5.6% note: developed countries 0% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to 10% typically; national inflation rates vary wi...

Congo, Democratic Republic of the definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 67.2% male: 80.9% female: 54.1% (2001 e...

This entry gives the value of shares issued by publicly traded companies at a price determined in the national stock markets on the final day of the period indicated. It is simp...

Luxembourg 1.75% (31 December 2009) 3% (31 December 2008) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks...

Haiti total population: 62.17 years male: 60.84 years female: 63.53 years note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influen...

Honduras total: 104 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 50, carrier 2, chemical tanker 7, container 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 6, roll...

Dominica green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white...

Luxembourg $120.8 billion (31 December 2010 est) $121 billion (31 December 2009 est) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Centr...

Norway 18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 12-month service obli...

India 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 whom are appointed by the presi...

Bosnia and Herzegovina bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats, 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the...

Jordan three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphat...

Uzbekistan ADB, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN,...

Singapore 102.4% of GDP (2010 est.) 110% of GDP (2009 est.) note: for Singapore, public debt consists largely of Singapore Government Securities (SGS) issued to assist the Centr...

1 United States 9,885.00 2010 2 United States 7,971.00 2010 3 Brazil 3,346.00 2010 4 United States 1,752.00 2010 5 Brazil 1,642.00 2010 6 Brazil 1,617.00 2010 7 Mexico 1,569.00...

Cote d'Ivoire Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)

Philippines bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected at large by popular vote to serve six...

Turkey total: 2,648 km border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Swaziland bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members to serve five...

Ecuador unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (124 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms) elect...

This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in internationally accepted currencies, goods, or services. These figures are calculated on an...

Bhutan 699,847 note: the Factbook population estimate is consistent with the first modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005; previous Factbook population estimates for this co...

Panama divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain bl...

Uganda party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Oz...

Austria three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according...

Ethiopia -0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritr...

National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in ea...

European Union $22.65 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) $21.24 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) note: this figure refers to the euro area only; it excludes credit data for non-eu...

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an...

international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA...

note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetar...

Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revol...

Maldives unicameral People's Council or People's Majlis (77 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve five-year terms); note - the Majlis in February 2009 passed legislatio...

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly redu...

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a s...

This entry gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-a...

general assessment: the number of fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a...

This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, o...

All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex and as such are managed by th...

1 European Union 13,655.00 NA 2 United States 8,961.00 2006 3 United States 4,789.00 2006 4 Italy 4,600.00 1998 5 France 3,500.00 1998 6 Russia 1,500.00 2004 7 Brazil 1,365.00 1...

Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claim...

Gibraltar name: Gibraltar geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begin...

Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor...

note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political un...

mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children...

domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telep...

Cuba 1.606 million note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in lar...

election results: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was never held leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position...

Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a l...

general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, t...

51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Argolis, Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chania,...

1 state-owned TV broadcast station; state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations; about 10 private radio station...

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in...

Fiji Christian 64.5% (Methodist 34.6%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, Anglican 0.8%, other 10.4%), Hindu 27.9%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, o...

domestic: stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now includes all the main cities and key road...

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011); followin...

Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy to a more market-based and globally-i...

cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers (For more information visit the World L...

government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscri...

Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian...

note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island...

Fiji ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C (suspended), CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF,...

general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opene...

BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent...

Sudan based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law a...

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colo...

state-owned radio and television monopoly until recently; by mid-2008 there were 5 radio broadcast stations operating; first private cable TV channel now operational with an add...

5 TV networks each broadcasting on multiple stations; one of the networks is state-owned; multiple cable TV subscription service providers; multiple radio networks, one state-ow...

The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advanc...

Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues...

bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members direct...

Until recently, only two autocratic presidents had ruled Gabon since its independence from France in 1960. The recent president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the...

total: 193 country comparison to the world: 34 by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 151, carrier 1, chemical tanker 3, container 2, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tank...

Netherlands ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA,...

international: country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic p...

Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs....

152,217,341 country comparison to the world: 8 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowe...

This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining t...

air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU...

5 free-to-air nationwide television networks operating roughly 75 TV stations; about 85% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; national and regional radio networks with...

Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. Gradual liberalization since the mid-1990s has opened...

head of government: Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 3 March 2009), Deputy Prime Ministers Yerbol ORYNBA...

2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately-owned; state-owned radio runs a national and regional network; substantial number of privately-owned radio broadcast stations; tran...

South Africa 14.61%, China 7.58%, US 5.87%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.65%, India 5.19%, Malaysia 5.19%, France 5.08%, UK 4.48%, Netherlands 4.06% (2009)

The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and...

domestic: telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at...

international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 India...

international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Inte...

domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban...

note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted February...

domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and fixed wireless local loops have been installe...

election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%, BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4, BAM 1, other 1

chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is heavily dependent upon tourism revenues, which has replaced sugar, the traditional mainstay of the economy until the 1970s. Following the...

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 105 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave rad...

general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT...

This entry lists major infectious diseases likely to be encountered in countries where the risk of such diseases is assessed to be very high as compared to the United States. Th...

Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland joined 11 other EU nations in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but econo...

cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate...

domestic: fixed line availability has not changed significantly since 1998 while mobile cellular subscribership, aided by competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapi...

Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President); Convention for the Renewal of the Como...

Despite being the smallest country geographically in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy in the region. The economy took a hit from the global recession a...

Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar - NA (2007-08), 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007

domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchange...

deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been signifi...

Sierra Leone total: 189 by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 131, carrier 1, chemical tanker 12, container 3, liquefied gas 3, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, ref...

registered in other countries: 77 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 7, Dominica 6, Finland 2, Latvia 4, Malta 16, former Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 1, Sa...

international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stati...

This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasion...

international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to So...

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PO 60, PiS 39, independents 1; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 41.5%, PiS 32.1%, LiD 13.2%, PSL 8...

Suriname Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar - 2.745 (2007), 2.745 (2006), 2.7317 (2005), 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003) note: in January 2004, the government replaced the guil...

international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and t...

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying a...

27 August 2010; the new constitution abolishes the position of prime minister and establishes a bicameral legislature; many details have yet to be finalized and will require sig...

major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable...

China's economy since the late 1970s has changed from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major role in the global economy - in 2010 Ch...

domestic: state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be under...

Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judge...

cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections...

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year ter...

Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lo...

general assessment: adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass...

bicameral Parliament consists of a National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve five-year terms; note - this is primar...

Vanuatu measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of th...

Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in M...

Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude...

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is heredit...

Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party); Seychelles National Party or SNP...

Uzbekistan chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet; elected president of independent Uzbekistan in...

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM,...

note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetar...

Serbia Proper: Belgrade City (Beograd): Barajevo, Cukarica, Grocka, Lazarevac, Mladenovac, Novi Beograd, Obrenovac, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski Venac, Sopot, Stari Grad, Surcin,...

This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for about two-thirds of the population. Fishing, offshore financial serv...

After discarding socialist economic policies in the mid-1990s, Madagascar followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization that has been undermined...

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; 11% of the land is intensely cultivated, in irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of the population lives in densely populated rural co...

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating st...

election results: Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); he ran unopposed as president; percent of Nati...

international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a to...

Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging,...

a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and...

general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized; the system is digital and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave r...

31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila d...

general assessment: inherited an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network from the Soviet era; quality has improved with a modern digital trunk line now connecting sw...

general assessment: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network near...

Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Co...

In 2007 Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary; dispute with Timor-Leste hampers creation of a...

international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pac...

landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level with an average elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks, glaciers...

Swaziland current situation: Swaziland is a source, destination, and transit country for women and children trafficked internally and transnationally for the purposes of commerc...

water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall...

the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as...

state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately-owned TV stations and a large number of privately-owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple interna...

international: country code - 354; the CANTAT-3 and FARICE-1 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, UK, Denmark, and Germany; a planned new s...

volcanism: Papua New Guinea experiences severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (elev. 2,334 m, 7,657 ft), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deem...

international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Oc...

chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the junta; Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March...

relies on foreign terrestrial and satellite broadcasters for most broadcast media services; first Liechtenstein-based television station established August 2008; Radio Liechtens...

red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; a white star - pointing...

109 municipalities (novadi, singular-novads) and 9 cities*: Adazu Novads, Aglonas Novads, Aizkraukles Novads, Aizputes Novads, Aknistes Novads, Alojas Novads, Alsungas Novads, A...

in the north, the Sudanese Government directly controls TV and radio, requiring that both media reflect government policies; TV has a permanent military censor; a private radio...

1 Tonga 2,003.00 2003 est. 2 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 95.00 1996 3 Burundi 93.60 2002 est. 4 Burkina Faso 90.00 2000 est. 5 Norfolk Island 90.00 NA 6 Timor-Leste 90.00...

The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president unt...

In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and...

international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable th...

cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature) (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general...

Montserrat note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the 227 km road system; a new road infrastructure has been built in the north end of the island (2008)

boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment hav...

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - U Party 28, PC 22, PL 16, PIN 9, CR 8, PDA 8, Green Party 5, other parties 5; Chamber of Representativ...

Netherlands lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands foll...

With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, generally pro-investment policies, and strong export industries, Thailand enjoyed solid growth from 2000 to 2008...

state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station, 1 state-owned radio station, and 1 private radio station owned by t...

international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellit...

748,486 country comparison to the world: 161 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower...

domestic: fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; mobile-cellular service, initiated in 2002, suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom...

Haiti 8.21 deaths/1,000 population note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the Ja...

blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress...

Ukraine Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakene...

1 privately-owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs; a satellite program package is available; 6 radio stations br...

the publicly-owned radio and television broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 7 national television networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 2 in Italian, a...

21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tou...

$716.3 million (2005) country comparison to the world: 161 note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in E...

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a se...

Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis w...

Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census)

Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports,...

telephone: [242] 281-1481, 281-3368; note - until the new embassy in Brazzaville becomes operational, some duties will still be handled in the US embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic...

1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercia...

foreign-owned: 850 (Australia 11, Bangladesh 2, Bermuda 21, Chile 7, China 26, Cyprus 3, Denmark 125, France 3, Germany 30, Greece 19, Hong Kong 38, India 19, Indonesia 53, Ital...

note: this is the quantity of quasi money, M2-M1, for the euro area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of quasi money...

The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, 25% of GDP, and 80% of government revenue. The weakness in...

Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of N...

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the S...

total: 645 country comparison to the world: 18 by type: bulk carrier 95, cargo 290, chemical tanker 85, combination ore/oil 1, container 40, liquefied gas 6, passenger 1, passen...

Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty el...

Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish...

divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern;...

Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Fat...

Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion...

For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanis...

Cyprus 16 August 1960 note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution...

Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Macroeconomic growth averaged around 6% between 200...

general assessment: well developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed-lines have increased since that time with two f...

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow f...

government owns and controls all broadcast media with private ownership of electronic media prohibited; government operates 4 national TV networks and many local TV stations; go...

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1...

international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean exten...

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports and is almost entirely de...

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, De...

broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 4 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-ru...

public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and television networks; Uganda first began licensing privately-owned stations in the 1990s; by 2007 th...

18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service...

general assessment: currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing t...

bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (60 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve f...

The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignt...

current situation: Guinea is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; the maj...

general assessment: supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing telecom markets...

Church of God 25.5%, Roman Catholic 12.6%, Presbyterian / United Church 9.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.4%, Baptist 8.3%, Pentecostal 6.7%, Anglican 3.9%, other religions 4%, non-...

note: 95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands,...

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway o...

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative c...

cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the Ho...

domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have...

note: the North and East Greenland National Park (Avannaarsuani Tunumilu Nuna Allanngutsaaliugaq) and the Thule Air Base in Pituffik (in northwest Greenland) are two unincorpora...

Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armeni...

The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta; over subsequent centuries Montenegro was able...

Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.12%, Italy 10.96%, Germany 9.9%, Serbia and Montenegro 7%, Austria 5.4%, Slovenia 5.38%, Macedonia 5.26%, Russia 4.39%, Hungary 4.36% (2009)

General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Ma...

This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and b...

domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 140 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of...

international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to the South...

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (o...

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; 11% of the land is intensely cultivated, in irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of the population lives in densely populat...

Palestinian Authority security forces have operated only in the West Bank, not in the Gaza Strip, since HAMAS seized power in June 2007; law and order and other security functio...

Pacific Ocean planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed p...

Tajikistan state-run television broadcaster transmits nationally on 4 stations and regionally on 4 stations; about 10 independent TV stations broadcast locally and regionally; s...

international: country code - 46; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1...

Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. New countries are respectively: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan,...

Comoros Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independenc...

Kenya chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002); Vice President Stephen Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January 2008); head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (...

Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the n...

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMS...

Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%...

Estonia After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recogn...

general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system cons...

Greece Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighb...

1 United States $ 3,397,000,000,000 2010 est. 2 Japan $ 2,252,000,000,000 2010 est. 3 United States $ 2,092,000,000,000 2010 est. 4 Japan $ 1,839,000,000,000 2010 est. 5 Germany...

This entry provides the description of a country's legal system; it also includes information on acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. The legal syste...

Cuba The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. The government announced it would eliminate 500,000 state j...

Spain total: 505,370 sq km land: 498,980 sq km water: 6,390 sq km note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Is...

chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately...

multiple national private TV and radio networks and a government-operated national TV and radio network; about 300 television stations and more than 1,000 radio stations; multi-...

Antarctica Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their continental claims, but like the claim...

For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not repres...

4 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in Kinyarwanda - intara for singular and plural) and 1 city* (in French - ville; in Kinyarwanda - umujyi); Est (Eastern)...

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint...

international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending f...

nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the...

Chuukese 48.8%, Pohnpeian 24.2%, Kosraean 6.2%, Yapese 5.2%, Yap outer islands 4.5%, Asian 1.8%, Polynesian 1.5%, other 6.4%, unknown 1.4% (2000 census)

African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar [Macky Sall]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; And-Jef/African Party fo...

Bolivia Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 cou...

Sint Maarten the Royal Netherlands Navy maintains a permanent and active presence in the region from its main operating base on Curacao and through a detachment on Sint Maarten;...

Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tou...

500 million kWh country comparison to the world: 160 note: most imported electricity is from Israel; Jerusalem District Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Pale...

Bhutan chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son imme...

Ethiopia landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by wat...

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close...

2 state-owned TV stations with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stati...

United States about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than C...

Spain chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968 head of government: President of the Gov...

1 China 314,668,817.00 2010 est. 2 China 298,745,786.00 2010 est. 3 India 244,727,406.00 2010 est. 4 India 235,662,750.00 2010 est. 5 United States 60,388,734.00 2010 est. 6 Uni...

Spain chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge DEZCALLAR de Mazarredo chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202...

Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and t...

Malaysia civil courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in states of Borneo (judges are app...

Guam volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosq...

Portugal textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, diary products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glas...

This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some countries more than one definition applies.): Abso...

World urban population: 50.5% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) ten largest urban agglomerations: Tokyo (Japan) - 36,66...

Moldova Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from t...

domestic: fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service, aided by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly; trunk...

Southern Ocean huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-ter...

Faroe Islands The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. The sector accounts for about 95% of exports and nearly half of GD...

volcanism: Peru experiences volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Ubinas (elev. 5,672 m, 18,609 ft), which last erupted in 2009, is the country's most active volcano; other...

Lebanon Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon...

US Federal agencies are required by the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-168) and by Executive Order 12770 of July 1991 to use the International System of Units, com...

This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the un...

Tier 2 Watch List: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic R...

Poland chief of state: President Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (since 6 August 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Waldem...

Croatia chief of state: President Ivo JOSIPOVIC (since 18 February 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Jadranka KOSOR (since 6 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Bozidar PA...

Micronesia, Federated States of chief of state: President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007); note - the president is both the chi...

Korea, North North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair...

Democratic Alliance or DS [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of the Albanians or PDSh/DPA [Menduh THACI]; Democratic P...

direct election 18 years of age for some non-executive positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organi...

Portugal agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, cl...

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Governm...

Spain despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large sh...

Bosnia and Herzegovina sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed se...

Portugal Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past two decades, successive governments...

international: country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 s...

Saint Barthelemy Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sa...

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold...

Syria Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other docum...

Serbia MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of international economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the...

The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an inde...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) Saar (region) Germany 49 25 N 7 00 E Saaremaa (island) Estonia 58 25 N 22 30 E Saba (island) Netherlands...

All telephone numbers in The World Factbook consist of the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required) in parentheses, and the local number. The one compone...

Algeria After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National...

territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, the lower triangle is...

0.787% country comparison to the world: 139 note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect...

Ghana chief of state: President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 2009); Vice President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2009); note - the president is both the chief o...

Netherlands chief of mission: Ambassador Fay HARTOG LEVIN embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 31...

Cyprus republic note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solid...

a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost consta...

What country enjoyed the lowest unemployment rate in 2010? Find out by checking "Unemployment rate" under the Country Comparison feature (in the References tab). The entire Econ...

general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebui...

Aruba constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government r...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) Kabardino-Balkaria Russia 43 30 N 43 30 E (region) Kabul (capital) Afghanistan 34 31 N 69 12 E Kaduna (ci...

Central African Republic refugees (country of origin): 7,900 (Sudan); 3,700 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); note - UNHCR resumed repatriation of Southern Sudanese refugees i...

Grenada Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily...

European Union 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,...

Argentina Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one o...

area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari ri...

Barbados Supreme Court of Judicature consists of a High Court and a Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribb...

Afghanistan Afghanistan Peoples' Treaty Party [Sayyed Amir TAHSEEN]; Afghanistan's Islamic Mission Organization [Abdul Rasoul SAYYAF]; Afghanistan's Islamic Nation Party [Toran...

Central African Republic Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the popula...

Israel Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the...

Panama Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gr...

French Southern and Antarctic Lands French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island...

Indonesia Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has weathered the global financial crisis relatively smoothly because of its heavy reliance on domestic consumption as the driver of...

11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a white five-pointed star appears on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the stripes symbol...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) Bab el Mandeb (strait) Indian Ocean 12 40 N 43 20 E Babuyan Channel Pacific Ocean 18 44 N 121 40 E Babuya...

Central African Republic chief of mission: Ambassador Frederick B. COOK embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [23...

Bhutan The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% of the population....

Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (IL...

Guatemala current situation: Guatemala is a source, transit, and destination country for Guatemalans and Central Americans trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual explo...

Hong Kong direct election - 18 years of age for half the legislature and a majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory o...

Ecuador frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts volcanism: Ecuador experiences volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Sangay (elev. 5,2...

international: country code - 56; landing points for the Pan American, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin America Nautilius submarine cables providing links to t...

Cambodia primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legis...

Timor-Leste conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay) conventional short form: Timor-Leste local long form: Republika Demokratika...

Moldova Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no m...

West Bank 2,514,845 (July 2010 est.) note: approximately 296,700 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2009 est.); approximately 192,800 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusale...

American Samoa Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2% note: most people are...

Cuba the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on the state of Cuban equipment; the ar...

Niger Niger is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Drought, desertificatio...

Suriname A-Combination (a coalition that includes the General Liberation and Development Party ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK], SEEKA [Paul ABENA], Union of Brotherhood and Unity in Pol...

a mixture of public and private TV stations; the public broadcaster operates multiple stations; roughly 100 private national, regional, and local stations operating; more than 7...

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close...

of Information 1 India 12,011,217.00 2010 est. 2 China 10,699,186.00 2010 est. 3 India 10,639,158.00 2010 est. 4 China 9,460,217.00 2010 est. 5 Indonesia 2,227,993.00 2010 est....

Sudan Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil...

Turkey general assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially in mobile-cellular services domestic: additional digi...

Congo, Democratic Republic of the one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudo...

Brazil Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose L...

Kosovo Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PShDK [Ton MARKU]; Alliance for a New Kosovo or AKR [Behgjet PACOLLI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush H...

Guatemala chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco VILLAGRAN de Leon chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952 FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908 consula...

Luxembourg This small, stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and l...

Mexico large number of television stations and more than 1,400 radio stations, most are privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV broadcasting, but n...

This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Acidification - the lowering of soi...

Japan negligible mineral resources, fish note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as th...

Finland agriculture and forestry: 4.5% industry: 18.2% construction: 7.3% commerce: 15.9% finance, insurance, and business services: 14.5% transport and communications: 6.9% pub...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH): Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zrakoplovstvo i Prot...

Swaziland In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s....

Congo, Democratic Republic of the degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: m...

United States agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office m...

a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market-oriented syste...

Turkey Turkey's economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 30% of employment. An ag...

Russia Association of Citizens with Initiative of Russia (TIGR); Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR); Federation of Independent Labor Unions of Russia; Freedom of Choice Inte...

Australia the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as Australia Network, a TV service that broadcas...

established - 29 June 2005 aim - to eliminate existing social inequities, to foster high standards of living, to promote effective people's participation in shaping their own de...

Gambia, The state-owned, single-channel TV service; state-owned radio station and 4 privately-owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are avai...

Estonia air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissio...

1 China 8,850.00 NA 2 Nepal 8,850.00 NA 3 Pakistan 8,611.00 NA 4 India 8,598.00 NA 5 Bhutan 7,570.00 NA 6 Tajikistan 7,495.00 NA 7 Afghanistan 7,485.00 NA 8 Kyrgyzstan 7,439.00...

a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the top group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the...

note - abbreviated as Marine Life Conservation opened for signature - 29 April 1958 entered into force - 20 March 1966 objective - to solve through international cooperation the...

This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conven...

Australia general assessment: excellent domestic and international service domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population dens...

established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945 aim - to maintain international peace and security permanent members - (5) China, France, Russia, UK, US nonpermanent mem...

New Caledonia Caledonia My Country; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]; Caledonian Union or UC [Nicholas ABOUT]; Communist Republican and Left Party or CRC-SPG [Nichole BORVO C...

Cook Islands general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex domestic: individual islands are connected by a combin...

Holy See (Vatican City) conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato dell...

France Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF); French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT]; Greens [Cecile DUFLOT]; Lef...

Haiti general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is among the least developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic facilities barely adequate; international f...

This information is presented in This information is presented in <a href = "../appendix/appendix-f.html"Appendix F: Cross Reference List of Geographic Names. It includes a list...

New Zealand Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of t...

note - also known as Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI) established - 12 August 1980; effective - 18 March 1981 aim - to promote freer regional trade members - (1...

Madagascar general assessment: system is above average for the region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based te...

Tajikistan landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communis...

Puerto Rico general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability domestic: digital tele...

Svalbard name: Longyearbyen geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, be...

Vietnam 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung T...

Southern Ocean increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as...

France Confederation francaise democratique du travail or CFDT, left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members; Confederation francaise de l'encadrement - Confedera...

1 Australia 21.00 2008 2 Australia 21.00 2008 3 Australia 20.00 2008 4 New Zealand 20.00 2008 5 Iceland 20.00 2008 6 British Virgin Islands 19.00 2005 7 New Zealand 19.00 2008 8...

This entry provides the description of a country's legal system; it also includes information on acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. The legal syste...

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants opened for signature - 24 June 1998 entered into force - 23 October 2003 objective - to provide for the control...

1 China 381,747,145.00 2010 est. 2 China 360,385,629.00 2010 est. 3 India 313,905,989.00 2010 est. 4 India 291,755,100.00 2010 est. 5 United States 73,145,586.00 2010 est. 6 Uni...

note - formerly known as League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) established - 5 May 1919 aim - to organize, coordinate, and direct international relief actions;...

This entry provides the description of a country's legal system; it also includes information on acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. The legal syste...

1 China $ 2,622,000,000,000 31 December 2010 est. 2 Russia $ 483,100,000,000 30 November 2010 3 Saudi Arabia $ 456,200,000,000 31 December 2010 est. 4 Taiwan $ 382,800,000,000 3...

Laos LA LA LAO 418 LAO .la Latvia LG LV LVA 428 LVA .lv Lebanon LE LB LBN 422 LBN .lb Lesotho LT LS LSO 426 LSO .ls Liberia LI LR LBR 430 LBR .lr Libya LY LY LBY 434 LBY .ly Lie...

Saint Kitts and Nevis 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capeste...

China world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and appar...

established - 16 April 1992 aim - to consolidate trade union actions to protect citizens' social and labor rights and interests, to help secure trade unions' rights and guarante...

Mali party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlan...

acres ares 40.468 564 224 acres hectares 0.404 685 642 24 acres square feet 43,560 acres square kilometers 0.004 046 856 422 4 acres square meters 4,046.856 422 4 acres square m...

Costa Rica party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the S...

Kosovo 30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Ko...

1 World $ 75,860,000,000,000 NA 2 Japan $ 18,300,000,000,000 NA 3 United States $ 12,390,000,000,000 NA 4 European Union $ 11,170,000,000,000 NA 5 China $ 10,080,000,000,000 NA...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) East China Sea Pacific Ocean 30 00 N 126 00 E East Frisian Islands Germany 53 44 N 7 25 E East Germany (G...

Colombia 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Ca...

1 American Samoa 200.00 NA 2 Angola 200.00 NA 3 Anguilla 200.00 NA 4 Antigua and Barbuda 200.00 NA 5 Argentina 200.00 NA 6 Ashmore and Cartier Islands 200.00 NA 7 Australia 200....

This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some countries more than one definition applies.): Abso...

1 Anguilla 100.00 NA 2 Bermuda 100.00 NA 3 Gibraltar 100.00 NA 4 Cayman Islands 100.00 NA 5 Hong Kong 100.00 NA 6 Macau 100.00 NA 7 Monaco 100.00 NA 8 Nauru 100.00 NA 9 Holy See...

This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Acidification - the lowering of soi...

1 France 100.00 NA 2 Greece 99.00 NA 3 Marshall Islands 98.20 NA 4 Poland 97.80 2002 census 5 Armenia 97.70 2001 census 6 Nicaragua 97.50 NA 7 Croatia 96.10 2001 census 8 Cambod...

This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and b...

1 European Union $ 15,900,000,000,000 2010 est. 2 United States $ 14,620,000,000,000 2010 est. 3 China $ 5,745,000,000,000 2010 est. 4 Japan $ 5,391,000,000,000 2010 est. 5 Germ...

1 Bolivia 21.00 NA 2 Central African Republic 21.00 NA 3 Gabon 21.00 NA 4 Fiji 21.00 NA 5 Lebanon 21.00 NA 6 Malaysia 21.00 NA 7 Samoa 21.00 NA 8 Singapore 21.00 NA 9 Tokelau 21...

This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining t...

1 United States $ 11,740,000,000,000 31 December 2008 2 European Union $ 7,564,000,000,000 31 December 2008 3 Japan $ 3,220,000,000,000 31 December 2008 4 China $ 2,794,000,000,...

This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functi...

1 European Union $ 14,890,000,000,000 2010 est. 2 United States $ 14,720,000,000,000 2010 est. 3 China $ 9,872,000,000,000 2010 est. 4 Japan $ 4,338,000,000,000 2010 est. 5 Indi...

1 United States $ 32,610,000,000,000 31 December 2009 est. 2 European Union $ 22,650,000,000,000 31 December 2009 est. 3 Japan $ 16,390,000,000,000 31 December 2008 est. 4 China...

1 United States $ 13,980,000,000,000 30 June 2010 2 European Union $ 13,720,000,000,000 30 June 2010 3 United Kingdom $ 8,981,000,000,000 30 June 2010 4 Germany $ 4,713,000,000,...

1 United States $ 1,903,000,000,000 2010 est. 2 European Union $ 1,690,000,000,000 2007 3 China $ 1,307,000,000,000 2010 est. 4 Germany $ 1,120,000,000,000 2010 est. 5 Japan $ 6...

1 Russia 47,570,000,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 2 Iran 29,610,000,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 3 Qatar 25,470,000,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 4 Turkmenistan 7,504,000,000,000 1 J...

1 China 47.80 2010 est. 2 Congo, Republic of the 41.50 2010 est. 3 Sao Tome and Principe 41.00 2010 est. 4 Ghana 39.80 2010 est. 5 Cape Verde 36.90 2010 est. 6 Seychelles 36.20...

Germany total: 41,896 km standard gauge: 41,641 km 1.435-m gauge (20,053 km electrified) narrow gauge: 75 km 1.000-m gauge (75 km electrified); 180 km 0.750-m gauge (24 km elect...

Information 1 United States $ 2,581,000,000,000 31 December 2010 est. 2 France $ 1,207,000,000,000 31 December 2010 est. 3 United Kingdom $ 1,169,000,000,000 31 December 2010 es...

This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washin...

1 Saudi Arabia 264,600,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 2 Canada 175,200,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 3 Iran 137,600,000,000 1 January 2010 est. 4 Iraq 115,000,000,000 1 January 2010...

1 Angola 23.74 July 2010 est. 2 Mozambique 19.83 July 2010 est. 3 Afghanistan 17.65 July 2010 est. 4 South Africa 16.99 July 2010 est. 5 Nigeria 16.31 July 2010 est. 6 Russia 16...

1 United States 548,665.00 2009 2 United States 244,620.00 2009 3 Russia 159,552.00 2009 4 Canada 74,980.00 2009 5 Russia 74,285.00 2009 6 Ukraine 33,327.00 2009 7 China 32,545....

1 Turkmenistan 5,104.00 2000 2 Kazakhstan 2,360.00 2000 3 Uzbekistan 2,194.00 2000 4 Guyana 2,187.00 2000 5 Hungary 2,082.00 2001 6 Azerbaijan 2,051.00 2000 7 Kyrgyzstan 1,916.0...

1 United States 4,110,000,000,000 2008 est. 2 China 3,451,000,000,000 2008 est. 3 European Union 3,080,000,000,000 2007 est. 4 Japan 957,900,000,000 2008 est. 5 Russia 925,900,0...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) Oahu (island) United States 21 30 N 158 00 W (Hawaii) Ocean Island (Banaba) Kiribati 0 52 S 169 35 E Ocea...

1 United States 3,873,000,000,000 2008 est. 2 China 3,438,000,000,000 2008 est. 3 European Union 2,906,000,000,000 2007 est. 4 Japan 925,500,000,000 2008 est. 5 Russia 857,600,0...

1 United States 6,506,204 2008 2 China 3,583,715 2007 3 India 3,320,410 2009 4 Brazil 1,751,868 2004 5 Japan 1,203,777 2008 6 Canada 1,042,300 2008 7 France 1,027,183 2007 8 Rus...

1 United States 23,530,000,000.00 NA 2 United Kingdom 12,460,000,000.00 NA 3 Japan 11,190,000,000.00 NA 4 France 10,600,000,000.00 NA 5 Germany 10,440,000,000.00 NA 6 Netherland...

This entry provides information on the approximate number of public and private TV and radio stations in a country, as well as basic information on the availability of satellite...

1 Qatar $ 145,300 2010 est. 2 Liechtenstein $ 122,100 2007 est. 3 Luxembourg $ 81,800 2010 est. 4 Bermuda $ 69,900 2004 est. 5 Singapore $ 62,200 2010 est. 6 Norway $ 59,100 201...

This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according t...

1 United States 57,020,000,000.00 2008 est. 2 Switzerland 46,600,000,000.00 2009 est. 3 Italy 43,000,000,000.00 2008 est. 4 Brazil 42,060,000,000.00 2008 est. 5 Germany 41,670,0...

1 China 819,500,000 2010 est. 2 India 478,300,000 2010 est. 3 European Union 225,200,000 2010 est. 4 United States 153,900,000 2010 est. 5 Indonesia 114,900,000 2010 est. 6 Braz...

1 Germany 61,700,000,000.00 2008 est. 2 France 58,690,000,000.00 2008 est. 3 Canada 55,730,000,000.00 2008 est. 4 Switzerland 49,900,000,000.00 2009 est. 5 Paraguay 45,140,000,0...

1 China $ 272,500,000,000 2010 est. 2 Japan $ 182,300,000,000 2010 est. 3 Germany $ 162,300,000,000 2010 est. 4 Russia $ 68,850,000,000 2010 est. 5 Norway $ 60,230,000,000 2010...

1 United States $ 10,990,000,000,000 31 December 2008 2 Japan $ 6,160,000,000,000 31 December 2008 3 European Union $ 5,631,000,000,000 31 December 2008 4 China $ 4,523,000,000,...

1 United Arab Emirates 21.71 2010 est. 2 Cayman Islands 16.09 2010 est. 3 Kuwait 15.65 2010 est. 4 Sint Maarten 14.24 2008 5 Anguilla 13.54 2010 est. 6 Zimbabwe 12.87 2009 est....

1 Monaco 89.78 2010 est. 2 Macau 84.38 2010 est. 3 San Marino 82.95 2010 est. 4 Andorra 82.36 2010 est. 5 Japan 82.17 2010 est. 6 Guernsey 82.08 2010 est. 7 Singapore 82.06 2010...

1 Niger 3.66 2010 est. 2 Uganda 3.56 2010 est. 3 Burundi 3.56 2010 est. 4 United Arab Emirates 3.56 2010 est. 5 Kuwait 3.50 2010 est. 6 Gaza Strip 3.29 2010 est. 7 Ethiopia 3.20...

1 United States 575,000,000.00 1997 2 China 417,000,000.00 1997 3 Japan 120,500,000.00 1997 4 India 116,000,000.00 1997 5 United Kingdom 84,500,000.00 1997 6 Germany 77,800,000....

1 Comoros 55.20 2004 2 Namibia 53.00 2008 3 Haiti 47.70 2001 4 Colombia 45.00 2008 5 Angola 44.70 2000 6 South Africa 44.70 2000 7 Bolivia 44.10 2005 8 Ecuador 43.30 2007 9 Braz...

1 Monaco 48.90 2010 est. 2 Japan 44.60 2010 est. 3 Germany 44.30 2010 est. 4 Italy 43.70 2010 est. 5 Hong Kong 42.80 2010 est. 6 Austria 42.60 2010 est. 7 Finland 42.30 2010 est...

1 Niger 51.08 2010 est. 2 Uganda 47.55 2010 est. 3 Mali 46.09 2010 est. 4 Zambia 44.63 2010 est. 5 Burkina Faso 43.98 2010 est. 6 Ethiopia 43.34 2010 est. 7 Angola 43.33 2010 es...

1 European Union $ 5,542,000,000,000 31 December 2008 2 Japan $ 5,417,000,000,000 31 December 2008 3 China $ 2,434,000,000,000 31 December 2008 4 United States $ 1,436,000,000,0...

1 Angola 178.13 2010 est. 2 Afghanistan 151.50 2010 est. 3 Niger 114.50 2010 est. 4 Mali 113.66 2010 est. 5 Somalia 107.42 2010 est. 6 Mozambique 103.82 2010 est. 7 Central Afri...

1 United States 646,600,000,000 2009 est. 2 European Union 489,400,000,000 2009 est. 3 Russia 439,600,000,000 2009 4 Iran 140,000,000,000 2008 est. 5 Germany 96,260,000,000 2009...

1 San Marino -3.50 2008 2 Seychelles -2.20 2010 est. 3 Ireland -1.50 2010 est. 4 Gabon -1.30 2010 est. 5 Latvia -1.20 2010 est. 6 Faroe Islands -1.10 2009 7 Japan -0.90 2010 est...

This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conven...

1 United States 593,400,000,000 2009 est. 2 Russia 583,600,000,000 2009 3 Iran 200,000,000,000 2008 est. 4 European Union 181,600,000,000 2009 est. 5 Canada 161,300,000,000 2009...

1 Russia 17,098,242 NA 2 Canada 9,984,670 NA 3 United States 9,826,675 NA 4 China 9,596,961 NA 5 Brazil 8,514,877 NA 6 Australia 7,741,220 NA 7 India 3,287,263 NA 8 Argentina 2,...

1 Andorra 100.00 NA 2 Finland 100.00 2000 est. 3 Georgia 100.00 2004 est. 4 Holy See (Vatican City) 100.00 NA 5 Luxembourg 100.00 2000 est. 6 Norway 100.00 NA 7 Liechtenstein 10...

1 Qatar 19.40 2010 est. 2 Singapore 14.60 2010 est. 3 Turkmenistan 11.00 2010 est. 4 Congo, Republic of the 10.50 2010 est. 5 China 10.30 2010 est. 6 Afghanistan 8.90 2010 est....

1 United States 18,690,000 2009 est. 2 European Union 13,680,000 2009 est. 3 China 8,200,000 2009 est. 4 Japan 4,363,000 2009 est. 5 India 2,980,000 2009 est. 6 Russia 2,740,000...

1 China 389,000,000 2009 2 United States 245,000,000 2009 3 Japan 99,182,000 2009 4 Brazil 75,982,000 2009 5 Germany 65,125,000 2009 6 India 61,338,000 2009 7 United Kingdom 51,...

1 Saudi Arabia 8,728,000 2007 est. 2 Russia 5,430,000 2009 3 United Arab Emirates 2,700,000 2007 est. 4 Kuwait 2,349,000 2007 est. 5 Nigeria 2,327,000 2007 est. 6 Iran 2,210,000...

1 China 313,680,000 2009 2 United States 141,000,000 2009 3 Germany 48,700,000 2009 4 Russia 44,802,000 2009 5 Japan 44,364,000 2009 6 Brazil 41,497,000 2009 7 France 36,431,000...

1 United States 11,310,000 2008 est. 2 European Union 8,613,000 2008 est. 3 Japan 5,033,000 2008 est. 4 China 4,393,000 2008 5 Korea, South 3,074,000 2009 6 India 2,900,000 2007...

1 China 747,000,000 2009 2 India 670,000,000 2010 3 United States 286,000,000 2009 4 Russia 230,500,000 2009 5 Brazil 173,959,000 2009 6 Indonesia 159,248,000 2009 7 Japan 114,9...

1 China 400,000,000 1997 2 United States 219,000,000 1997 3 Japan 86,500,000 1997 4 India 63,000,000 1997 5 Russia 60,500,000 1997 6 Germany 51,400,000 1998 7 Brazil 36,500,000...

1 Russia 179,100,000,000 2009 2 Norway 98,850,000,000 2009 est. 3 Canada 94,670,000,000 2009 est. 4 Algeria 59,670,000,000 2008 est. 5 Qatar 56,780,000,000 2008 est. 6 Netherlan...

1 United States 106,100,000,000 2009 est. 2 Germany 94,570,000,000 2009 est. 3 Japan 90,290,000,000 2009 est. 4 Italy 69,240,000,000 2009 est. 5 France 45,850,000,000 2009 est....

1 United States 439,000,000 NA 2 Japan 54,846,000 2010 3 Italy 23,160,000 2010 4 Germany 21,729,000 2010 5 Brazil 19,316,000 2010 6 China 15,251,000 2010 7 France 15,182,000 201...

1 Russia 10,120,000 2010 est. 2 Saudi Arabia 9,764,000 2009 est. 3 United States 9,056,000 2009 est. 4 Iran 4,172,000 2009 est. 5 China 3,991,000 2009 est. 6 Canada 3,289,000 20...

This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been...

1 Zimbabwe 578.96 31 December 2007 2 Brazil 47.25 31 December 2008 est. 3 Madagascar 45.00 31 December 2008 est. 4 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 43.15 31 December 2008 est....

1 Russia 7,306.00 1998 2 China 3,240.00 1997 3 European Union 2,700.00 NA 4 United States 2,218.00 2006 5 India 1,400.00 2009 6 United Kingdom 940.00 2008 7 Mexico 729.00 2009 8...

1 United States 7,000.00 2002 est. 2 Canada 760.00 2000 est. 3 Australia 571.00 2002 4 Russia 300.00 June 2000 5 Ukraine 260.00 2001 6 Bulgaria 200.00 2001 7 Germany 200.00 2001...

Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vesse...

Information 1 Iraq 2,400,000.00 2007 2 Jordan 1,835,704.00 2007 3 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1,400,000.00 2007 4 Uganda 1,270,000.00 2007 5 Somalia 1,100,000.00 2007 6 Pa...

This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (P...

1 Qatar 27.10 2010 est. 2 Malawi 17.30 2010 est. 3 Uruguay 16.50 2010 est. 4 Taiwan 16.00 2010 est. 5 Thailand 14.50 2010 est. 6 Korea, South 12.10 2010 est. 7 Zambia 12.10 2010...

1 South Africa 350,000 2007 est. 2 India 310,000 2001 est. 3 Nigeria 170,000 2007 est. 4 Kenya 150,000 2003 est. 5 Zimbabwe 140,000 2007 est. 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the...

1 Swaziland 26.10 2007 est. 2 Botswana 23.90 2007 est. 3 Lesotho 23.20 2007 est. 4 South Africa 18.10 2007 est. 5 Namibia 15.30 2007 est. 6 Zimbabwe 15.30 2007 est. 7 Zambia 15....

1 Zimbabwe 975.00 31 December 2007 2 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 40.00 31 December 2008 3 Venezuela 33.50 31 December 2008 4 Sao Tome and Principe 28.00 31 December 2008 5...

Singapore Mandarin (official) 35%, English (official) 23%, Malay (official) 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil (official) 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8...

NAME ENTRY IN LATITUDE LONGITUDE THE WORLD FACTBOOK (DEG MIN) (DEG MIN) Wake Atoll Wake Island 19 17 N 166 39 E Wakhan Corridor (see Afghanistan 37 00 N 73 00 E Vakhan) Walachia...

1 World 33,000,000 2007 est. 2 South Africa 5,700,000 2007 est. 3 Nigeria 2,600,000 2007 est. 4 India 2,400,000 2007 est. 5 Mozambique 1,500,000 2007 est. 6 Tanzania 1,400,000 2...

1 Kiribati 17.80 2002 2 Cuba 13.60 2008 3 Lesotho 12.40 2008 4 Marshall Islands 12.30 2004 5 Palau 10.30 2002 6 Saint Kitts and Nevis 9.90 2005 7 Uzbekistan 9.40 1991 8 Djibouti...

National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in ea...

Information 1 Namibia 70.7 2003 2 South Africa 65.0 2005 3 Lesotho 63.2 1995 4 Botswana 63.0 1993 5 Sierra Leone 62.9 1989 6 Central African Republic 61.3 1993 7 Haiti 59.2 2001...

1 United States 226,427 2007 2 Russia 87,157 2006 3 China 77,834 2008 4 India 64,015 2009 5 Canada 46,688 2008 6 Germany 41,896 2008 7 Australia 37,855 2008 8 Argentina 31,409 2...

This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full...

This entry gives the total number of heliports with hard-surface runways, helipads, or landing areas that support routine sustained helicopter operations exclusively and have su...

1 China 110,000 2010 2 Russia 102,000 2009 3 Brazil 50,000 2010 4 United States 41,009 2008 5 Indonesia 21,579 2011 6 Colombia 18,000 2010 7 Vietnam 17,702 2011 8 Congo, Democra...

This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 re...

tons, short avoirdupois pounds 2,000 tons, short kilograms 907.184 74 tons, short long hundredweights 17.857 14 tons, short long tons 0.892 857 1 tons, short metric tons 0.907 1...

This entry gives the total number of airports with paved runways (concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is inc...

education) School life expectancy (SLE) is the total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his...

This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways (grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest ru...

(domestic/industrial/agricultural) This entry provides the annual quantity of water in cubic kilometers removed from available sources for use in any purpose. Water drawn-off is...

This entry contains the percentage shares of total land area for three different types of land use: arable land - land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are...

This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the purpose of finding the approximate geographic center of an entity and is based on the locations provided in th...

This entry provides the official value of a country's monetary unit at a given date or over a given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and as...

annually This entry gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of m...