THE WORLD FACTBOOK (continued 6)
Reading edition
_#_Budget: $33.6 million (1990)
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 220,392 GRT/350,131 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note—a captive subset of the French register
_#_Telecommunications: NA
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Gabon *Geography #_Total area: 267,670 km2; land area: 257,670 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 2,551 km total; Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
_#_Coastline: 885 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
_#_Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 78%; other 2%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_*People #_Population: 1,079,980 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 104 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Gabonese (sing., pl.); adjective—Gabonese
_#_Ethnic divisions: about 40 Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); about 100,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans, including 27,000 French
_#_Religion: Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, remainder animist
_#_Language: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
_#_Literacy: 61% (male 74%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 120,000 salaried; agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%; 58% of population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: there are 38,000 members of the national trade union, the Gabonese Trade Union Confederation (COSYGA)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Gabonese Republic
_#_Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)
_#_Capital: Libreville
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
_#_Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
_#_National holiday: Renovation Day (Gabonese Democratic Party established), 12 March (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Casimir OYE-MBA (since 3 May 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), El Hadj Omar BONGO, president; National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons); Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP); National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original); Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG); Gabonese Socialist Union (USG); Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP); Union for Democracy and Development (UDD)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 9 November 1986 (next to be held November 1993); results—President Omar BONGO was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held on 28 October 1990 (next to be held by February 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(120 total, 111 elected) PDG 62, National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons) 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, ASPG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independent 3
_#_Communists: no organized party; probably some Communist sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Alexandre SAMBAT; Chancery at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-1000;
US—Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE; Embassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville (mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville); telephone 762003 or 762004, 743492
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, dependent on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now dominated by the oil sector. During the period 1981-85 oil accounted for about 46% of GDP, 83% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues on average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s contributed to a substantial increase in per capita income, stimulated domestic demand, reinforced migration from rural to urban areas, and raised the level of real wages to among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year slide of Gabon's economy, which began with falling oil prices in 1985, was reversed in 1989 because of a near doubling of oil prices over their 1988 lows. In 1990 the economy continued to grow, but debt servicing problems are hindering economic advancement. The agricultural and industrial sectors are relatively underdeveloped, except for oil.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $3,090; real growth rate 13% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $277 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.16 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil 70%, manganese 11%, wood 12%, uranium 6%;
partners—France 53%, US 22%, FRG, Japan
_#_Imports: $0.78 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery;
partners—France 48%, US 2.6%, FRG, Japan, UK
_#_External debt: $3.4 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 10% (1988 est.)
_#_Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 980 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, food and beverages, timber, cement plywood, textiles, mining—manganese, uranium, gold)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops—cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $66 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—253.32 (December 1990), 171.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 649 km 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
_#_Highways: 7,500 km total; 560 km paved, 960 km laterite, 5,980 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 270 km; refined products, 14 km
_#_Ports: Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,563 GRT/25,330 DWT
_#_Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 73 total, 61 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate system of open-wire, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and radiocommunication stations; 13,800 telephones; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 12 domestic satellite
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 266,472; 133,648 fit for military service; 9,634 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $102 million, 3.2% of GDP (1990 est.) % @The Gambia *Geography #_Total area: 11,300 km2; land area: 10,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
_#_Land boundary: 740 km with Senegal
_#_Coastline: 80 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
_#_Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 16%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 20%; other 55%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
_*People #_Population: 874,553 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male, 51 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Gambian(s); adjective—Gambian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%); non-Gambian 1%
_#_Religion: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
_#_Language: English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 39%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%; 55% population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of The Gambia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Banjul
_#_Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
_#_Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
_#_Constitution: 24 April 1970
_#_Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since 12 May 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. JAWARA, secretary general; National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff DIBBA; Gambian People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa CAMARA; United Party (UP); People's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results—Sir Dawda JAWARA (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha DIBBA (NCP) 25.2%, Assan Musa CAMARA (GPP) 13.7%;
House of Representatives—last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held by March 1992); results—PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%; seats—(43 total, 36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359;
US—Ambassador Arlene RENDER; Embassy at Pipeline Road (Kairaba Avenue), Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul); telephone Serrekunda [220] 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. It is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income of about $230. About 75% of the population is engaged in crop production and livestock raising, which contributes 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufacturing activity—processing peanuts, fish, and hides—accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The Gambia imports one-third of its food, all fuel, and most manufactured goods. Exports are concentrated on peanut products (about 75% of total value).
_#_GDP: $195 million, per capita $230; real growth rate 6.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.0% (FY91)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $79 million; expenditures $84 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $116 million (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels;
partners—Japan 60%, Europe 29%, Africa 5%, US 1% other 5% (1989)
_#_Imports: $147 million (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment;
partners—Europe 57%, Asia 25%, USSR/EE 9%, US 6%, other 3% (1989)
_#_External debt: $336 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6.7%; accounts for 5.8% of GDP (FY90)
_#_Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and employs about 75% of the population; imports one-third of food requirements; major export crop is peanuts; the principal crops—millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, palm kernels; livestock—cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing resources not fully exploited
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $93 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $492 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $39 million
_#_Currency: dalasi (plural—dalasi); 1 dalasi (D) = 100 bututs
_#_Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1—7.610 (January 1991), 7.883 (1990), 7.5846 (1989), 6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987), 6.9380 (1986), 3.8939 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 400 km
_#_Ports: Banjul
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate network of radio relay and wire; 3,500 telephones; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 188,393; 95,133 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 0.7% of GDP (1988) % @Gaza Strip #_Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. With respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, however, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
_*Geography #_Total area: 380km2; land area: 380 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
_#_Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
_#_Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
_#_Terrain: flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 13%, permanent crops 32%, meadows and pastures 0%, forest and woodland 0%, other 55%
_#_Environment: desertification
_#_Note: there are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip
_*People #_Population: 642,253 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991); in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: NA
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Religion: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
_#_Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: (excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) small industry, commerce and business 32.0%, construction 24.4%, service and other 25.5%, and agriculture 18.1% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Note: The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.
_*Economy #_Overview: Nearly half the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 46% of GNP in 1990. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-91 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the incomes of the population. Furthermore, the Persian Gulf crisis dealt a severe blow to the Gaza Strip in 1990 and on into 1991. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have plunged, unemployment has increased, and export revenues have fallen dramatically. The risk of malnutrition is a real possibility in 1991.
_#_GNP: $270 million, per capita $430; real growth rate - 25% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $36.6 million; expenditures $32.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
_#_Exports: $88 million;
commodities—citrus;
partners—Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $260 million;
commodities—food, consumer goods, construction materials;
partners—Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: power supplied by Israel
_#_Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
_#_Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.0120 (January 1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-March 31
_*Communications #_Railroads: one line, abandoned and in disrepair, but trackage remains
_#_Highways: small, poorly developed indigenous road network
_#_Ports: facilities for small boats to service Gaza
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 136,311; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Germany *Geography #_Total area: 356,910 km2; land area: 349,520 km2; comprises the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 3,790 km total; Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czechoslovakia 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
_#_Coastline: 2,389 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of Baltic Sea—3 nm (extends, at one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht); remainder of Baltic Sea—12 nm
_#_Disputes: the boundaries of Germany were set by the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany signed 12 September 1990 in Moscow by the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union; this treaty entered into force on 15 March 1991; a subsequent treaty between Germany and Poland, reaffirming the German-Polish boundary, was signed on 14 November 1990 and is set to be ratified in 1991; the US Government is seeking to settle the property claims of US nationals against the former GDR
_#_Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
_#_Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
_#_Land use: arable land 34%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 16%; forest and woodland 30%; other 19%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution; ground water, lakes, and air quality in eastern Germany are especially bad; significant deforestation in the eastern mountains caused by air pollution and acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
_*People #_Population: 79,548,498 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—German(s); adjective—German
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily German; small Danish and Slavic minorities
_#_Religion: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 37%, unaffiliated or other 18%
_#_Language: German
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 36,750,000; industry 41%, agriculture 6%, other 53% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 47% of labor force (1986 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federal Republic of Germany
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Berlin; note—the shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of years with Bonn retaining many administrative functions
_#_Administrative divisions: 16 states (lander, singular—land); Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringen
_#_Independence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
_#_Constitution: 23 May 1949, provisional constitution known as Basic Law
_#_Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: 3 October 1990, German Unity Day
_#_Executive branch: president, chancellor, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral parliament (no official name for the two chambers as a whole) consists of an upper chamber or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower chamber or Federal Diet (Bundestag)
_#_Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
_#_Leaders: Chief of State—President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984);
Head of Government—Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut KOHL, chairman; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Otto Count LAMBSDORFF, chairman; Social Democratic Party (SPD), Bjoern ENGHOLM, chairman; Green Party—Volmer LUDGER, Christine WEISKE, co-chairmen (after the 2 December 1990 election the East and West German Green Parties united); Alliance 90 includes three parties—New Forum, Jens REICH, Sebastian PFLUGBEIL, spokespersons; Democracy Now, Konrad WEISS, spokesperson; and Initiative, Peace, and Human Rights Party, Gerd POPPE; Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS, formerly the East German Communist Party), Gregor GYSI, chairman; Republikaner, Franz SCHONHUBER; National Democratic Party (NPD), Martin MUSSGNUG; Communist Party (DKP), Herbert MIES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: Federal Diet—last held 2 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results—CDU 36.7%, SPD 33.5%, FDP 11.0%, CSU 7.1%, Green Party (West Germany) 3.9%, PDS 2.4%, Republikaner 2.1%, Alliance 90/Green Party (East Germany) 1.2%, other 2.1%; seats—(662 total, 656 statutory with special rules to allow for slight expansion) CDU 268, SPD 239, FDP 79, CSU 51, PDS 17, Alliance 90/Green Party (East Germany) 8; note—special rules for this election allowed former East German parties to win seats if they received at least 5% of vote in eastern Germany
_#_Communists: West—about 40,000 members and supporters; East—284,000 party members (December 1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and veterans groups
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNHCR, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Jeurgen RUHFUS; Chancery at 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 298-4000; there are German Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans;
US—Ambassador-designate Robert M. KIMMITT; Embassy at Deichmanns Avenue, 5300 Bonn 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09080); telephone [49] (228) 3391; there is a US Branch Office in Berlin and US Consulates General in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow
_*Economy #_Overview: The newly unified German economy presents a starkly contrasting picture. Western Germany has an advanced market economy and is a leading exporter. It experienced faster-than-projected real growth largely because of demand in eastern Germany for western German goods. Western Germany has a highly urbanized and skilled population which enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. Western Germany is relatively poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. Western Germany's world-class companies manufacture technologically advanced goods. The region's economy is mature: manufacturing and service industries account for the dominant share of economic activity, and raw materials and semimanufactured products constitute a large proportion of imports. In 1989 manufacturing accounted for 31% of GDP, with other sectors contributing lesser amounts. In recent years, gross fixed investment has accounted for about 21% of GDP. In 1990 GDP in the western region was an estimated $16,300 per capita.
In contrast, eastern Germany's obsolete command economy, once dominated by smokestack heavy industries, has been undergoing a wrenching change to a market economy. Industrial production in early 1991 is down 50% from the same period last year, due largely to the slump in domestic demand for eastern German-made goods and the ongoing economic restructuring. The FRG's legal, social welfare, and economic systems have been extended to the east, but economic restructuring—privatizing industry, establishing clear property rights, clarifying responsibility for environmental clean-up, and removing Communist-era holdovers from management—is proceeding slowly so far, deterring outside investors. The region is one of the world's largest producers of low-grade lignite coal, but has few other resources. The quality of statistics from eastern Germany remains poor; Bonn is still trying to bring statistics for the region in line with West German practices.
The most challenging economic problem of a united Germany is the reconstruction of eastern Germany's economy—specifically, finding the right mix of fiscal, regulatory, monetary, and tax policies that will spur investment in the east without derailing western Germany's healthy economy or damaging relations with Western partners. The biggest danger is that soaring unemployment in eastern Germany, which could climb to the 30 to 40% range, could touch off labor disputes or renewed mass relocation to western Germany and erode investor confidence in eastern Germany. Overall economic activity grew an estimated 4.6% in western Germany in 1990, while dropping roughly 15% in eastern Germany. Per capita GDP in the eastern region was approximately $8,700 in 1990.
_#_GDP: $1,157.2 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 1.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): West—3.0% (1989); East—0.8% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: West—7.1% (1990); East—1% (1989); 3% (first half, 1990)
_#_Budget: West—revenues $539 billion; expenditures $563 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.5 billion (1988); East—revenues $147.0 billion; expenditures $153.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
_#_Exports:
West—$324.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactures 86.6% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 4.9%, raw materials 2.3%, fuels 1.3%;
partners—EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 9%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other West Europe 18%, US 10%, Eastern Europe 4%, OPEC 3% (1987);
East—$32.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment 47%, fuels and metals 16%, consumer goods 16%, chemical products and building materials 13%, semimanufactured goods and processed foodstuffs 8%;
partners—USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, FRG, Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Romania, EC, US (1989)
_#_Imports:
West—$247.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactures 68.5%, agricultural products 12.0%, fuels 9.7%, raw materials 7.1%;
partners—EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 11%, Italy 10%, UK 7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other West Europe 15%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Eastern Europe 5%, OPEC 3% (1987);
East—$30.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—fuels and metals 40%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, chemical products and building materials 9%;
partners—USSR and Eastern Europe 65%, FRG 12.7%, EC 6.0%, US 0.3% (1989)
_#_External debt: West—$500 million (June 1988); East—$20.6 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rates, West—3.3% (1988); East—2.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 133,000,000 kW capacity; 580,000 million kWh produced, 7,390 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: West—among world's largest producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages; East—metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: West—accounts for about 2% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food; fish catch of 202,000 metric tons in 1987; East—accounts for about 10% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops—wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; net importer of food; fish catch of 193,600 metric tons in 1987
_#_Economic aid: West—donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.5 billion; East—donor—$4.0 billion extended bilaterally to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-88)
_#_Currency: deutsche mark (plural—marks); 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
_#_Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1—1.5100 (January 1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: West—31,443 km total; 27,421 km government owned, 1.435-meter standard gauge (12,491 km double track, 11,501 km electrified); 4,022 km nongovernment owned, including 3,598 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (214 km electrified) and 424 km 1.000-meter gauge (186 km electrified); East—14,025 km total; 13,750 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 275 km 1.000-meter or other narrow gauge; 3,830 (est.) km 1.435-meter double-track standard gauge; 3,475 km overhead electrified (1988)
_#_Highways: West—466,305 km total; 169,568 km primary, includes 6,435 km autobahn, 32,460 km national highways (Bundesstrassen), 65,425 km state highways (Landesstrassen), 65,248 km county roads (Kreisstrassen); 296,737 km of secondary communal roads (Gemeindestrassen); East—124,604 km total; 47,203 km concrete, asphalt, stone block, of which 1,855 km are autobahn and limited access roads, 11,326 are trunk roads, and 34,022 are regional roads; 77,401 municipal roads (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: West—5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea; East—2,319 km (1988)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km, refined products 3,946 km, natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
_#_Ports: maritime—Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Cuxhaven, Emden, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lubeck, Wilhelmshaven, Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, Sassnitz; inland—31 major
_#_Merchant marine: 598 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,029,615 GRT/6,391,875 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 5 short-sea passenger, 315 cargo, 11 refrigerated cargo, 126 container, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 railcar carrier, 6 barge carrier, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 21 liquefied gas tanker, 5 combination ore/oil, 14 combination bulk, 15 bulk; note—the German register includes ships of the former East Germany and West Germany; during 1991 the fleet is expected to undergo major restructuring as now-surplus ships are sold off
_#_Civil air: 239 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 655 total, 647 usable; 312 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 86 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 95 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: West—highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country; fully adequate in all respects; 41,740,000 telephones; stations—70 AM, 205 (370 relays) FM, 300 (6,422 relays) TV; 6 submarine coaxial cables; earth stations operating in INTELSAT (12 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems;
East—3,970,000 telephones; stations—23 AM, 17 FM, 21 TV (15 Soviet TV relays); 6,181,860 TVs; 6,700,000 radios; at least 1 earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Border Police
_#_Manpower availability:—males 15-49, 20,219,289; 17,557,807 fit for military service; 415,108 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $47.1 billion, 4.7% of GDP (1990) % @Ghana *Geography #_Total area: 238,540 km2; land area: 230,020 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 2,093 km total; Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km
_#_Coastline: 539 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
_#_Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
_#_Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 37%; other 36%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
_#_Note: Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake
_*People #_Population: 15,616,934 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 86 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ghanaian(s); adjective—Ghanaian
_#_Ethnic divisions: black African 99.8% (major tribes—Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
_#_Language: English (official); African languages include Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga
_#_Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,700,000; agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%; 48% of population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of labor force)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Ghana
_#_Type: military
_#_Capital: Accra
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
_#_Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)
_#_Constitution: 24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
_#_Executive branch: chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: a small number of Communists and sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY; Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-0761; there is a Ghanaian Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Raymond C. EWING; Embassy at Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P. O. Box 194, Accra); telephone [233] (21) 775347 through 775349
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983, including moves toward privatization and relaxation of government controls. Heavily dependent on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, economic growth is threatened by a poor cocoa harvest and higher oil prices in 1991. Rising inflation—unofficially estimated at 50%—could undermine Ghana's relationships with multilateral lenders. Civil service wage increases and the cost of peacekeeping forces sent to Liberia are boosting government expenditures and undercutting structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990.
_#_GNP: $5.8 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.9% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $821 million; expenditures $782 million, including capital expenditures of $151 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $826 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum;
partners—US 23%, UK, other EC
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment;
partners—US 10%, UK, FRG, France, Japan, South Korea, GDR
_#_External debt: $3.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.4% in manufacturing (1989); accounts for almost 1.5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for more than 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops—rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $106 million
_#_Currency: cedi (plural—cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
_#_Exchange rates: cedis (C) per US$1—342.91 (November 1990), 270.00 (1989), 202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986), 54.37 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation
_#_Highways: 28,300 km total; 6,000 km concrete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces
_#_Inland waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 155 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
_#_Pipelines: none
_#_Ports: Tema, Takoradi
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,016 GRT/66,627 DWT
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 10 total, 9 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor to fair system of open-wire and cable, radio relay links; 38,000 telephones; stations—6 AM, no FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, paramilitary Palace Guard, National Civil Defense Organization
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,538,503; 1,983,493 fit for military service; 169,698 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $23 million, 0.5% of GNP (1988) % @Gibraltar (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain
_#_Coastline: 12 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
_#_Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: natural freshwater sources are meager so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water
_#_Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
_*People #_Population: 29,613 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Gibraltarian; adjective—Gibraltar
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
_#_Language: English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
_#_Organized labor: over 6,000
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Gibraltar
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 30 May 1969
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March), 12 March 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Adm. Sir Derek REFFELL (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo CANEPA; Independent Democratic Party, Joe PITALUGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.
_#_GNP: $182 million, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 5% (FY87)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $136 million; expenditures $139 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
_#_Exports: $82 million (1988);
commodities—(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%;
partners—UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
_#_Imports: $258 million (1988);
commodities—fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs;
partners—UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
_#_External debt: $318 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 47,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,670 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish
_#_Agriculture: NA
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $187 million
_#_Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural—pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (5G) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (5G) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
_#_Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
_#_Ports: Gibraltar
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,399,594 GRT/2,667,656 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 combination oil/ore, 9 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 14,000 telephones; stations—1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Glorioso Islands (French possession) *Geography #_Total area: 5 km2; land area: 5 km2; includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
_#_Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 35.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: guano, coconuts
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other—lush vegetation and coconut palms 100%
_#_Environment: subject to periodic cyclones
_#_Note: located in the Indian Ocean just north of the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Greece *Geography #_Total area: 131,940 km2; land area: 130,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama
_#_Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
_#_Coastline: 13,676 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia question with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Albania
_#_Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
_#_Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 20%; other 9%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of 2,000 islands
_#_Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits
_*People #_Population: 10,042,956 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Greek(s); adjective—Greek
_#_Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2%; note—the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
_#_Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
_#_Language: Greek (official); English and French widely understood
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 98%, female 89%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
_#_Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
_#_Capital: Athens
_#_Administrative divisions: 51 departments (nomoi, singular—nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos
_#_Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: 11 June 1975
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of independence), 25 March (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantinos MITSOTAKIS; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU; Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Constantine STEFANOPOULOS; Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA; Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas KYRKOS; Ecologist-Alternative List, leader NA; note—KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI, president
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results—Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1994); results—ND 46.89%, PASOK 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK/Left Alliance 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%, DIANA 0.67%, Muslim independents 0.5%; seats—(300 total) ND 150, PASOK 123, Left Alliance 19, PASOK-Left Alliance 4, Muslim independents 2, DIANA 1, Ecologist-Alternative List 1; note—one DIANA deputy joined ND in July, giving ND 151 seats; in November a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and taking one from PASOK (now 122)
_#_Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, FAO, G-6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-3168; there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US—Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York 09255-0006); telephone [30] (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US Consulate General in Thessaloniki
_#_Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Christianity, the established religion of the country
_*Economy #_Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several severe economic problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker governments, which neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning current account deficit, and accelerating inflation. With only a two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has concentrated on cutting the public-sector payroll, cautiously expanding the tax base, and adopting guidelines for privatizing Greece's loss-ridden state-owned enterprises. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of the European Community, including the progressive lowering of trade and investment barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a vital offset to the sizable commodity trade deficit.
_#_GDP: $76.7 billion, per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $34.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials;
partners—FRG 20%, Italy 17%, France 8%, UK 7%, US 6%
_#_Imports: $20.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners—FRG 21%, Italy 16%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, UK 6%
_#_External debt: $18.7 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 13% of GNP and 27% of the labor force; principal products—wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton, pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 135,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.35 billion
_#_Currency: drachma (plural—drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
_#_Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per US$1—159.87 (January 1991), 158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98 (1986), 138.12 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
_#_Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals and three unconnected rivers
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
_#_Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
_#_Merchant marine: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,585,048 GRT/39,011,361 DWT; includes 13 passenger, 63 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 152 cargo, 21 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 23 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 185 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 25 combination ore/oil, 5 specialized tanker, 407 bulk, 19 combination bulk; note—ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
_#_Civil air: 35 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 81 total, 79 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; 4,122,317 telephones; stations—30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 fit for military service; 72,707 reach military age (21) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990) % @Greenland (part of the Danish realm) *Geography #_Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area: 341,700 km2 (ice free)
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 44,087 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
_#_Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
_#_Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 99%
_#_Environment: sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
_#_Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe
_*People #_Population: 56,752 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 28 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 69 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Greenlander(s); adjective—Greenlandic
_#_Ethnic divisions: Greenlander (Eskimos and Greenland-born Caucasians) 86%, Danish 14%
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
_#_Language: Eskimo dialects, Danish
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 22,800; largely engaged in fishing, hunting, sheep breeding
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
_#_Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities (kommuner, singular—kommun); Nordgronland, Ostgronland, Vestgronland
_#_Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
_#_Constitution: Danish
_#_Legal system: Danish
_#_National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
_#_Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, home rule chairman, prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Landsting
_#_Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government—Home Rule Chairman Lars Emil JOHANSEN (since 15 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling coalition—Siumut (a moderate socialist party that advocates more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark), Lars Emil JOHANSEN, chairman; and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA; a Marxist-Leninist party that favors complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule); Atassut Party (a more conservative party that favors continuing close relations with Denmark), leader NA; Polar Party (conservative-Greenland nationalist), leader NA; Center Party (a new nonsocialist protest party), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Landsting—last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held 5 March 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(27 total) Siumut 11, Atassut Party 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit 5, Center Party 2, Polar Party 1;
Danish Folketing—last held on 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); Greenland elects two representatives to the Folketing; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) Siumut 1, Atassut 1
_#_Member of: NC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center—the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past 25 years, the economy has changed from one based on subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing to one dependent on foreign trade. Fishing is still the most important industry, accounting for over 75% of exports and about 25% of the population's income. Maintenance of a social welfare system similar to Denmark's has given the public sector a dominant role in the economy. In 1990, the economy became critically dependent on shrimp exports and an annual subsidy (now about $355 million) from the Danish Government because cod exports had fallen, the zinc and lead mine closed, and a large promising platinum and gold mine was not yet operational. Greenland has signed a contract for its largest construction project, a power plant to supply the capital. To avoid a decline in the economy, Denmark has agreed to pay 75% of the costs of running Sondrestrom Airbase and Kulusuk Airfield as civilian bases after the US withdraws in 1992.
_#_GNP: $500 million, per capita $9,000; real growth rate 5% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $381 million; expenditures $381 million, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $417 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—fish and fish products 78%, metallic ores and concentrates 19%;
partners—Denmark 74%, FRG 11%, Sweden 6%
_#_Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—manufactured goods 36%, machinery and transport equipment 26%, food products 13%, petroleum and petroleum products 10%;
partners—Denmark 69%, Norway, FRG, Japan, US, Sweden
_#_External debt: $480 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh produced, 3,180 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp), potential for platinum and gold mining, handicrafts, shipyards
_#_Agriculture: sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops limited to forage and small garden vegetables; 1988 fish catch of 133,500 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Danish krone (plural—kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1—5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 80 km
_#_Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn), Paamiut (Frederikshaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Julianehaab, Maarmorilik, North Star Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,021 GRT/1,778 DWT; note—operates under the registry of Denmark
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 11 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international service provided by cables and radio relay; 17,900 telephones; stations—5 AM, 7 (35 relays) FM, 4 (9 relays) TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is responsibility of Denmark % @Grenada *Geography #_Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 121 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains
_#_Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 26%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 9%; other 47%
_#_Environment: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
_#_Note: islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
_*People #_Population: 83,812 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 32 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Grenadian(s); adjective—Grenadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
_#_Religion: largely Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant sects
_#_Language: English (official); some French patois
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 36,000; services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Saint George's
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Little Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
_#_Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 19 December 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Ministers of Government (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since 30 September 1978);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY; The National Party (TNP), Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith MITCHELL; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MERRYSHOW; New Jewel Movement (NJM), Bernard COARD
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by March 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) NDC 8, GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2
_#_Communists: about 450 members of the New Jewel Movement (pro-Soviet) and the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (pro-Cuban)
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-2561; there is a Grenadian Consulate General in New York;
US—Charge d'Affaires Annette VELER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn, Saint George's (mailing address is P. O. Box 54, Saint George's); telephone (809) 444-1173 through 1178
_#_Flag: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side) with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 16% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. Despite an impressive average annual growth rate for the economy of 5.6% during the period 1986-90, unemployment remains high at about 25%.
_#_GDP: $200.7 million, per capita $2,390 (1989); real growth rate 5.4% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $54.9 million; expenditures $77.6 million, including capital expenditures of $16.6 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $27.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—nutmeg 36%, cocoa beans 9%, bananas 14%, mace 8%, textiles 5;
partners—US 12%, UK, FRG, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago (1989)
_#_Imports: $115.6 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989);
partners—US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)
_#_External debt: $90 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 6% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 12,500 kW capacity; 26 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $67 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved
_#_Ports: Saint George's
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF links to Trinidad and Carriacou; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 306 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
_#_Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
_#_Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches, and climate that foster tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 40%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
_#_Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 344,897 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 77 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guadeloupian(s); adjective—Guadeloupe
_#_Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 90%; white 5%; East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
_#_Language: French, creole patois
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture
_#_Organized labor: 11% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Basse-Terre
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique LARIFLA; Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council —last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(42 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Council—last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992); results—RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%; seats—(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4;
French Senate—last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;
French National Assembly—last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
_#_Communists: 3,000 est.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
_#_Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
_#_GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 38% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $254 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $153 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—bananas, sugar, rum;
partners—France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products;
partners—France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh produced, 1,290 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—bananas and sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock—cattle, pigs, and goats; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.9 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
_#_Highways: 1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; stations—2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 98,069; NA fit for military service
_#Note: defense is responsibility of France % @Guam (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 125.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coraline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center, mountains in south
_#_Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 18%; other 45%
_#_Environment: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
_#_Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
_*People #_Population: 144,928 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guamanian(s); adjective—Guamanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
_#_Language: English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese also widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 54,000; government 42%, private 58% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 13% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Guam
_#_Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
_#_Capital: Agana
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), 6 March 1989
_#_Executive branch: President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam (Federal District Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Joseph A. ADA (since NA November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994);
Legislature—last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(21 total) Democratic 11, Republican 10;
US House of Representatives—last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); Guam elects one nonvoting delegate; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) Republican 1
_#_Communists: none
_#_Note: relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on US military spending and on revenues from tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. Visitors numbered about 900,000 in 1990. The small manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, beverage, food, and watch production. About 60% of the labor force works for the private sector and the rest for government. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. In 1990 the unemployment rate was about 2%, down from 10% in 1983.
_#_GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,000; real growth rate 18% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $300 million; expenditures $290 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983);
commodities—mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products;
partners—US 25%, other 75%
_#_Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods;
partners—US 77%, other 23%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced, 16,300 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
_#_Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 674 km all-weather roads
_#_Ports: Apra Harbor
_#_Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 26,317 telephones (1989); stations—3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Guatemala *Geography #_Total area: 108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
_#_Coastline: 400 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute are underway
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 40%; other 32%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: no natural harbors on west coast
_*People #_Population: 9,266,018 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 58 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 66 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guatemalan(s); adjective—Guatemalan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Ladino (mestizo—mixed Indian and European ancestry) 56%, Indian 44%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan
_#_Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
_#_Literacy: 55% (male 63%, female 47%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,500,000; agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 8% of labor force (1988 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Guatemala
_#_Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
_#_Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
_#_Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jorge SERRANO Elias (since 14 January 1991); Vice President Gustavo ESPINA Salguero (since 14 January 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle; Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias; Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo; National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez; Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5), Max ORLANDO Molina; Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA; National Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe; Alliance for '90 led by Rios MONTT, consisting of three parties—Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar RIVAS; Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON; Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Berna ROLANDO Mendez
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results—Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%;
Congress—last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results—UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%, PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%; seats—(116 total) UCN 41, DCG 28, MAS 18, PAN 12, Alliance for '90 11, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1
_#_Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups—Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC)
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan Jose CASO Fanjul; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through 4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-41
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing accounts for about 15% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In 1990 the economy grew by 3.5%, the fourth consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic policies, however, were erratic in 1990—an election year—and inflation shot up to 60%, the highest level in modern times.
_#_GDP: $11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $270 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.24 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—coffee 24%, sugar 9%, bananas 8%, beef 4%;
partners—US 28%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
_#_Imports: $1.77 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles;
partners—US 40%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
_#_External debt: $2.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.0% (1988); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 819,000 kW capacity; 2,594 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops—sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock—cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.8 billion
_#_Currency: quetzal (plural—quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1—5.4 (April 1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note—black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km government owned, 90 km privately owned
_#_Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
_#_Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
_#_Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
_#_Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 430 total, 381 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fairly modern network centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,097,234; 1,372,623 fit for military service; 110,949 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $113 million, 1% of GDP (1990) % @Guernsey (British crown dependency) *Geography #_Total area: 194 km2; land area: 194 km2; includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 50 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
_#_Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
_#_Natural resources: cropland
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; cultivated about 50%
_#_Environment: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
_#_Note: 52 km west of France
_*People #_Population: 57,596 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Channel Islander(s); adjective—Channel Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent
_#_Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
_#_Language: English, French; Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 16
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Bailiwick of Guernsey
_#_Type: British crown dependency
_#_Capital: Saint Peter Port
_#_Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Independence: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
_#_Legal system: English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff, deputy bailiff
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States
_#_Judicial branch: Royal Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. Sir Michael WILKINS (since 1990); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSSARD (since 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Assembly of the States—last held NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(60 total, 33 elected), all independents
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Flag: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is a major source of revenue. Other economic activity includes financial services, breeding the world-famous Guernsey cattle, and growing tomatoes and flowers for export.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 9% (1987)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $208.9 million; expenditures $173.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables;
partners—UK (regarded as internal trade)
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—coal, gasoline and oil;
partners—UK (regarded as internal trade)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 525 million kWh produced, 9,340 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking
_#_Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables and fruit; Guernsey cattle
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Guernsey pound (plural—pounds); 1 Guernsey (5G) pound = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (5G) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Ports: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
_#_Airport: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)
_#_Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900 telephones; 1 submarine cable
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 3,399 km total; Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
_#_Coastline: 320 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 42%; other 40%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation
_*People #_Population: 7,455,850 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 144 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 41 years male, 45 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guinean(s); adjective—Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Fulani 35%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, small indigenous tribes 15%
_#_Religion: Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
_#_Language: French (official); each tribe has its own language
_#_Literacy: 24% (male 35%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,400,000 (1983); agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guinea
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Conakry
_#_Administrative divisions: 29 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular—region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou
_#_Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)
_#_Executive branch: president, Transitional Committee for National Recovery (Comite Transitionale de Redressement National or CTRN) replaced the Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN); Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420;
US—Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone (224) 44-15-20 through 24
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Rwanda which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector contributes about 40% to GDP and employs more than 80% of the work force, while industry accounts for 27% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of theworld's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 28.2% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $394 million; expenditures $548 million, including capital expenditures of $254 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $645 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels;
partners—US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
_#_Imports: $551 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain;
partners—US 16%, France, Brazil
_#_External debt: $2.6 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, gold, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mostly subsistence farming; principal products—rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock—cattle, sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1,075 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million
_#_Currency: Guinean franc (plural—francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1—24.39 (1989), 19.23 (1988), 17.54 (1987), 14.29 (1986), NA (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
_#_Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
_#_Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
_#_Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Surete Nationale
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,695,832; 853,593 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $27 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988) % @Guinea-Bissau *Geography #_Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
_#_Coastline: 350 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)—that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
_#_Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
_#_Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
_*People #_Population: 1,023,544 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 48 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective—Guinea-Bissauan
_#_Ethnic divisions: African about 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%); European and mulatto less than 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
_#_Literacy: 36% (male 50%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 403,000 (est.); agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%; population of working age 53% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: only one trade union—the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
_#_Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held an extraordinary party congress in December 1990 and established a two-year transition program during which the constitution will be revised, allowing for multiple political parties and a presidential election in 1993