Introductory material (continued 31)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use: 252,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,411 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)

Televisions: 425,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tt

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)

Internet users: 120,000 (2002)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Railways: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; common carrier railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001)

Highways: total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: none

Pipelines: condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2003)

Ports and harbors: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora

Merchant marine: total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,032 GRT/5,106 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: US 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 6 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Force, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 327,823 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 233,488 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (1999)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (1999)

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Tromelin Island

Introduction Tromelin Island

Background: First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.

Geography Tromelin Island

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 15 52 S, 54 25 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 1 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1 sq km

Area - comparative: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3.7 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical

Terrain: low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

People Tromelin Island

Population: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2003 est.)

Government Tromelin Island

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tromelin Island local short form: Ile Tromelin local long form: none

Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy Tromelin Island

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Communications Tromelin Island

Communications - note: important meteorological station

Transportation Tromelin Island

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Tromelin Island

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Tromelin Island

Disputes - international: claimed by Mauritius

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background: Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 163,610 sq km water: 8,250 sq km land: 155,360 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use: arable land: 18.67% permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population: 9,924,742 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27% (male 1,388,839; female 1,297,313) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,306,782; female 3,299,883) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 309,103; female 322,822) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 26.2 years male: 25.7 years female: 26.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.09% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 16.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 26.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 29.89 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.4 years male: 72.77 years female: 76.15 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.2% male: 84% female: 64.4% (2003 est.)

Government Tunisia

Country name: conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local short form: Tunis local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

Government type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100%

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rust M. DEMING embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 782-566 FAX: [216] 71 789-719

Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.4% in 1997-2001 but slowed to 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Increased rainfall portends higher growth levels for 2003, but continued regional tension from the war in Iraq will most likely continue to suppress tourism earnings. Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges for the future.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $67.13 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12% industry: 32% services: 56% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 6% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 2.69 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.4% (2002 est.)

Budget: revenues: $5.2 billion expenditures: $5.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2002 est.)

Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production: 10.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 9.748 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 1 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 417 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production: 2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 77.16 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds

Exports: $6.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities: textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners: France 31.3%, Italy 21.6%, Germany 11.5%, Spain 4.8%, Libya 4.7%, Belgium 4.3% (2002)

Imports: $8.7 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities: textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners: France 25.6%, Italy 19.5%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5% (2002)

Debt - external: $13.6 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $222.7 million (2000)

Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code: TND

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.42 (2002), 1.44 (2001), 1.37 (2000), 1.19 (1999), 1.14 (1998)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use: 654,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 50,000 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 920,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 400,000 (2002)

Transportation Tunisia

Railways: total: 2,152 km standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2002) narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)

Highways: total: 18,997 km paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)

Waterways: none

Pipelines: gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2003)

Ports and harbors: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis

Merchant marine: total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 139,990 GRT/148,394 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 30 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Military Tunisia

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,866,984 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,629,241 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 106,513 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $356 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Tunisia

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Turkey

Introduction Turkey

Background: Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between the two countries remain strained, but have begun to improve over the past few years. In 1984, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist, separatist group, initiated an insurgency in southeast Turkey, often using terrorist tactics to try to attain its goal of an independent Kurdistan. The group - whose leader, Abdullah OCALAN, was captured in Kenya in February 1999 - has observed a unilateral cease-fire since September 1999, although there have been occasional clashes between Turkish military units and some of the 4,000-5,000 armed PKK militants, most of whom currently are encamped in northern Iraq. The PKK changed its name to the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK) in April 2002.

Geography Turkey

Location: southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 780,580 sq km water: 9,820 sq km land: 770,760 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Texas

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

Coastline: 7,200 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR territorial sea: 6 NM in the Aegean Sea; 12 NM in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain: high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 34.53% permanent crops: 3.36% other: 62.11% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 42,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental Modification

Geography - note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population: 68,109,469 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.2% (male 9,422,242; female 9,082,840) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 22,978,251; female 22,243,477) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 2,013,926; female 2,368,733) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 26.8 years male: 26.7 years female: 27 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 17.59 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 44.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 47.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.8 years male: 69.41 years female: 74.3 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 94.3% female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government Turkey

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital: Ankara

Administrative divisions: 81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2007); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president note: a National Security Council serves as an advisory body to the government composed of top military and cabinet officials and presided over by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March 2003); note - Abdullah GUL resigned 11 March 2003; Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN was given a mandate to form a new government election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60% note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third ballot

Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister on 13 March 2003 election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%, DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, ANAP 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and others; seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeals and Council of State (judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT]; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayip ERDOGAN]; Motherland Party or ANAP [Ahmet Mesut YILMAZ]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP [Tansu CILLER]; Young Party or GP [Cem UZAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Erol YARAR]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Muharrem KAYHAN]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Bayram MERAL]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation: AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Economy Turkey

Economy - overview: Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that in 2001 still accounted for 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The most important industry - and largest exporter - is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. In recent years the economic situation has been marked by erratic economic growth and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Meanwhile, the public sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due in large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which account for more than 50% of central government spending. Inflation, in recent years in the high double-digit range, fell to 26% in 2003. Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct investment in Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually. In late 2000 and early 2001 a growing trade deficit and serious weaknesses in the banking sector plunged the economy into crisis - forcing Turkey to float the lira and pushing the country into recession. Results in 2002-03 were much better, because of strong financial support from the IMF and tighter fiscal policy. Continued slow global growth and serious political tensions in the Middle East could result in negative growth in 2004.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $489.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.9% industry: 30.4% services: 56.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 32.3% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.5 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 45.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 23.8 million note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2001 3rd quarter)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 39.7%, services 37.9%, industry 22.4% (3rd quarter, 2001)

Unemployment rate: 10.8% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2002 est.)

Budget: revenues: $42.4 billion expenditures: $69.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate: 8.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production: 116.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 79.3% hydro: 20.4% other: 0.3% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 112.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 433 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 4.579 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 48,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 619,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 288.4 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production: 312 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 15.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 8.685 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock

Exports: $35.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment

Exports - partners: Germany 16.6%, US 9.2%, UK 8.5%, Italy 6.4%, France 6% (2002)

Imports: $50.8 billion c.i.f. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment

Imports - partners: Germany 13.7%, Italy 8.1%, Russia 7.6%, US 6%, France 5.9%, UK 4.8%, Switzerland 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external: $118.3 billion (Yearend 2001)

Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $300 million (2000)

Currency: Turkish lira (TRL)

Currency code: TRL

Exchange rates: NA (2002), 1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Turkey

Telephones - main lines in use: 19.5 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 17.1 million (2001)

Telephone system: general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially with cellular telephones domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile cellular telephone service is growing rapidly international: international service is provided by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios: 11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code: .tr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 50 (2001)

Internet users: 2.5 million (2002)

Transportation Turkey

Railways: total: 8,607 km standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (2,131 km electrified) (2002)

Highways: total: 385,960 km paved: 131,226 km (including 1,749 km of expressways) unpaved: 254,734 km (1999)

Waterways: 1,200 km (approximately)

Pipelines: gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2003)

Ports and harbors: Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Merchant marine: total: 525 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,306,506 GRT/8,424,837 DWT ships by type: bulk 125, cargo 229, chemical tanker 44, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 3, container 34, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 26, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belize 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 2, Greece 1, Italy 1, Thailand 1, UK 11 (2002 est.)

Airports: 120 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 86 over 3,047 m: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 5 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 24 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 8

Heliports: 8 (2002)

Military Turkey

Military branches: Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 19,534,455 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 11,801,267 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 679,882 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.1 billion (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.5% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Turkey

Disputes - international: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Illicit drugs: key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Turkmenistan

Introduction Turkmenistan

Background: Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects can be worked out.

Geography Turkmenistan

Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 488,100 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 488,100 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Coastline: 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical desert

Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt

Land use: arable land: 3.47% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.39% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 17,500 sq km (2003 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

People Turkmenistan

Population: 4,775,544 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.8% (male 899,954; female 855,293) 15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,386,606; female 1,438,333) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 74,958; female 120,400) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 21.1 years male: 20.2 years female: 22 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.82% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 28.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 73.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 69.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.19 years male: 57.72 years female: 64.84 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen

Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995)

Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.)

Government Turkmenistan

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: none former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic local short form: Turkmenistan

Government type: republic

Capital: Ashgabat

Administrative divisions: 5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution: adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA); note - President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by the Assembly on 28 December 1999); deputy chairmen of the cabinet of ministers are appointed by the president election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5% note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28 December 1999 by the Assembly (Majlis) during a session of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty)

Legislative branch: under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100 seats, some of which are elected by popular vote and some of which are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by President NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV] note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been Gundogar and Erkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHUMRADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697 telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500 chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45 FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14

Flag description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe

Economy Turkmenistan

Economy - overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's tenth-largest producer. With an authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2003, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by 38% in 2003, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the international community in transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid, and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In any event, GDP increased substantially in 2003 because of a strong recovery in agriculture and rapid industrial growth.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $31.34 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 21.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 50% services: 23% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 34.4% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40.8 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 2.34 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $588.6 million expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production: 10.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 8.509 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 980 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 20 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 162,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 63,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 273 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production: 48.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 9.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 38.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.43 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: cotton, grain; livestock

Exports: $2.97 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities: gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001)

Exports - partners: Ukraine 49.7%, Italy 18%, Iran 13.1%, Turkey 6.2% (2002)

Imports: $2.25 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)

Imports - partners: Russia 19.8%, Turkey 12.8%, Ukraine 11.7%, UAE 10%, US 7.5%, China 6%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 4.4% (2002)

Debt - external: $2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $16 million from the US (2001)

Currency: Turkmen manat (TMM)

Currency code: TMM

Exchange rates: Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (2002), 5,200 (2001), 5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999), 4,890.17 (1998); note - the official exchange rate has not varied for the last four years; the unofficial rate has fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Turkmenistan

Telephones - main lines in use: 363,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,300 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: poorly developed domestic: NA international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 1.225 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997)

Televisions: 820,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1

Internet users: 2,000 (2000)

Transportation Turkmenistan

Railways: total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 24,000 km paved: 19,488 km unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan, as is the man-made Kara Kum canal

Pipelines: gas 6,634 km; oil 853 km (2003)

Ports and harbors: Turkmenbasy

Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 76 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 63 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 41 (2002)

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,239,737 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,005,686 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 53,825 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international: prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan has not committed to follow either Iran or the other littoral states in the division of the Caspian Sea seabed and water column; ICJ decision expected to resolve dispute with Azerbaijan over sovereignty over Caspian oilfields; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan is underway - maritime boundary not resolved

Illicit drugs: transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; small-scale government-run eradication of illicit crops; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Turks and Caicos Islands

Introduction Turks and Caicos Islands

Background: The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory.

Geography Turks and Caicos Islands

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 430 sq km

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 389 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch

Land use: arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Geography - note: about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

People Turks and Caicos Islands

Population: 19,350 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,202; female 3,094) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 6,484; female 5,848) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 321; female 401) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 27 years male: 27.7 years female: 26.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 3.14% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 23.51 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 16.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 19.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74 years male: 71.82 years female: 76.3 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: none adjective: none

Ethnic groups: black 90%, mixed, European, or north American 10%

Religions: Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)

Languages: English (official)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school female: 98% (1970 est.) male: 99% total population: 98%

People - note: destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US

Government Turks and Caicos Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK

Government type: NA

Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988

Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

Economy Turks and Caicos Islands

Economy - overview: The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in 2002 but appeared to be picking up at yearend.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1995)

Labor force: 4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Unemployment rate: 10% (1997 est.)

Budget: revenues: $47 million expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)

Industries: tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Agriculture - products: corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Exports: $169.2 million (2000)

Exports - commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners: US, UK

Imports: $175.6 million (2000)

Imports - commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

Imports - partners: US, UK

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $4.1 million (1997)

Currency: US dollar (USD)

Currency code: USD

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Turks and Caicos Islands

Telephones - main lines in use: 3,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)

Telephone system: general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 8,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997)

Televisions: NA

Internet country code: .tc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Grand Turk, Providenciales

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: 8 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military Turks and Caicos Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Tuvalu

Introduction Tuvalu

Background: In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Geography Tuvalu

Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 26 sq km

Area - comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level

Environment - current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements: party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

People Tuvalu

Population: 11,305 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.9% (male 1,838; female 1,772) 15-64 years: 63% (male 3,432; female 3,687) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 231; female 345) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 24.2 years male: 22.9 years female: 25.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.42% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 21.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 21.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 24.35 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.32 years male: 65.15 years female: 69.59 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.05 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Languages: Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Literacy: definition: NA% total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Government Tuvalu

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands former: Ellice Islands

Government type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

Capital: Funafuti

Administrative divisions: none

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution: 1 October 1978

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September 2003) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA) election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA elected prime minister; Parliamentary vote - Saufatu SOPOANGA 8, Amasone KILEI 7 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Saufatu SOPOANGA (since 2 August 2002)

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Judicial branch: High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

Political pressure groups and leaders: none

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Economy Tuvalu

Economy - overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could increase substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 7,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $22.5 million expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.)

Industries: fishing, tourism, copra

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%

Agriculture - products: coconuts; fish

Exports: $276,000 f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities: copra, fish

Exports - partners: UK 58.3%, Italy 16.7%, Denmark 8.3%, Fiji 8.3% (2002)

Imports: $7.2 million c.i.f. (1998)

Imports - commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners: Hungary 68.2%, Japan 12.9%, Fiji 11.9% (2002)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.)

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar

Currency code: AUD

Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Tuvalu

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)

Telephone system: general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)

Radios: 4,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)

Televisions: 800

Internet country code: .tv

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Tuvalu

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 8 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Funafuti, Nukufetau

Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 33,199 GRT/56,187 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 5 (2002 est.) ships by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1

Airports: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Military Tuvalu

Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues Tuvalu

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Uganda

Introduction Uganda

Background: Uganda achieved independence from the UK in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.

Geography Uganda

Location: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 32 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 236,040 sq km water: 36,330 sq km land: 199,710 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: total: 2,698 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land

Land use: arable land: 25.34% permanent crops: 8.77% other: 65.89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 90 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note: landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers

People Uganda

Population: 25,632,794 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 50.8% (male 6,528,724; female 6,486,736) 15-64 years: 46.8% (male 5,985,911; female 6,024,798) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 266,930; female 339,695) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 14.7 years female: 14.8 years (2002) male: 14.6 years

Population growth rate: 2.96% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 46.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 16.95 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2001, Uganda was host to 178,815 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including: Sudan 155,996, Rwanda 14,375, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 7,459 (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 87.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 95.41 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.88 years male: 43.42 years female: 46.38 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 600,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 84,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: Ugandan(s) adjective: Ugandan

Ethnic groups: Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%, Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi 2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%

Languages: English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.9% male: 79.5% female: 60.4% (2003 est.)

Government Uganda

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Uganda conventional short form: Uganda

Government type: republic

Capital: Kampala

Administrative divisions: 56 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Bugiri, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakasongola, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Constitution: 8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995

Legal system: in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 12 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 69.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 27.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly elected by popular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special interest groups [women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8 ex officio members; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 June 2001 (next to be held May or June 2006); election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: only one political organization, the Movement (formerly the NRM)[President MUSEVENI, chairman] is allowed to operate unfettered; note - the president maintains that the Movement is not a political party, but a mass organization, which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans note: the constitution requires the suspension of political parties while the Movement organization is in governance; of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Milton OBOTE]; Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE]; Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Justice Forum [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; and National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edith Grace SSEMPALA chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jimmy KOLKER embassy: 1577 Ggaba Rd., Kampala mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala telephone: [256] (41) 234-142 FAX: [256] (41) 258-451

Flag description: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side

Economy Uganda

Economy - overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001-02 was solid despite continued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export. Prospects for 2003 are mixed, with probable strengthening of coffee prices yet with halting growth in the economies of major export customers.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $30.49 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43% industry: 19% services: 38% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 35% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 21% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37.4 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.1% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 12 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 82%, industry 5%, services 13% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $959 million expenditures: $1.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)

Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production: 1.928 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.9% hydro: 99.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 1.62 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 174 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 1 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 8,750 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry, cut flowers

Exports: $476 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities: coffee, fish and fish products, tea; gold, cotton, flowers, horticultural products

Exports - partners: Belgium 16.2%, Netherlands 13.7%, Germany 7.5%, Spain 5.5%, Hong Kong 4.9%, US 4.6%, UK 4.3%, Italy 4.1%, Portugal 4.1% (2002)

Imports: $1.14 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals

Imports - partners: Kenya 45.3%, South Africa 6.8%, India 5.7%, UK 5.5% (2002)

Debt - external: $2.8 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $1.4 billion (2000)

Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX)

Currency code: UGX

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,797.55 (2002), 1,755.66 (2001), 1,644.48 (2000), 1,454.83 (1999), 1,240.31 (1998)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Communications Uganda

Telephones - main lines in use: 50,074; however, 80,868 main lines have been installed (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 9,000 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short-range traffic international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 33, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios: 5 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations: 8 (plus one low-power repeater) (2001)

Televisions: 500,000 (2001)

Internet country code: .ug

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 60,000 (2002)

Transportation Uganda

Railways: total: 1,241 km narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 27,000 km paved: 1,809 km unpaved: 25,191 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward, Victoria Nile, Albert Nile

Ports and harbors: Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell

Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,091 GRT/8,229 DWT ships by type: roll on/roll off 3 note: these ships are in cargo and passenger (ferry) service on Uganda's inland waterways (2002 est.)

Airports: 27 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Military Uganda

Military branches: Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (including Army, Marine unit, Air Wing)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,476,612 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,974,259 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $124.7 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.1% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Uganda

Disputes - international: Tutsi, Hutu, and other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; conflict in Sudan has extended rebel forces and refugees into Uganda

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Ukraine

Introduction Ukraine

Background: Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-1920), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although independence was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, true freedom remains elusive, as many of the former Soviet elite remain entrenched, stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.

Geography Ukraine

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E

Map references: Asia, Europe

Area: total: 603,700 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 603,700 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 4,663 km border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km

Coastline: 2,782 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m

Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land

Land use: arable land: 57.1% permanent crops: 1.73% other: 41.17% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 24,540 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe

People Ukraine

Population: 48,055,439 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.3% (male 4,004,948; female 3,832,931) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 15,779,735; female 17,225,103) 65 years and over: 15% (male 2,419,612; female 4,793,110) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 38 years male: 34.8 years female: 40.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate: -0.69% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 9.89 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 16.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 20.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 22.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.5 years male: 61.1 years female: 72.17 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 250,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 11,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian

Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001)

Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish

Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.7% male: 99.8% female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Government Ukraine

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic local short form: Ukrayina

Government type: republic

Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv)

Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr); note - when using a place name with an adjectival ending "s'ka" or "z'ka," the word Oblast' should be added to the place name note: oblasts have the administrative center name following in parentheses

Independence: 24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991); the date of 22 January (1918), the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia), is now celebrated as Unity Day

Constitution: adopted 28 June 1996

Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Leonid D. KUCHMA (since 19 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 21 November 2002); First Deputy Prime Minister Mykola AZAROV (since 26 November 2002) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 31 October and 14 November 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council election results: Leonid D. KUCHMA elected president; percent of vote - Leonid KUCHMA 57.7%, Petro SYMONENKO 38.8% note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council, but significantly revamped and strengthened under President KUCHMA; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Administration that helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president; and a Council of Regions that serves as an advisory body created by President KUCHMA in September 1994 that includes chairmen of the Kiev (Kyyiv) and Sevastopol' municipalities and chairmen of the oblasti

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; under Ukraine's new election law, 225 of the Supreme Council's seats are allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 4% or more of the national electoral vote; the other 225 members are elected by popular vote in single-mandate constituencies; all serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - Our Ukraine 24%, CPU 20%, United Ukraine 12%, United Social Democratic Party 6%, SPU 7%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 7%, other 24%; seats by party - Our Ukraine 102, CPU 60, Regions of Ukraine 42, Working Ukraine-Industrialists and Entrepreneurs 41, United Social Democratic Party 39, Democratic Initiatives 22, SPU 20, People's Power 19, European Choice 18, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 18, Agrarian Party 17, People's Democratic Party 16, People's Choice 15, others 21 note: following the election, United Ukraine splintered into the Agrarian Party, European Choice, People's Choice, People's Democratic Party, Regions of Ukraine, and Working Ukraine-Industrialists and Entrepreneurs elections: last held 31 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party [Kateryna VASHCHUK]; Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; Democratic Initiatives [Stepan HAVRYSH]; European Choice [Volodymyr STASYUK]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; People's Choice [Mykola HAPOCHKA]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Valeriy PUSTOVOYTENKO, chairman]; People's Power [Bohdan HUBSKYY]; Regions of Ukraine [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman]; United Social Democratic Party [Leonid KRAVCHUK]; Working Ukraine-Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Ihor SHAROV]; Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO] note: and numerous smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sergiy KORSUNSKYI FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York telephone: [1] (202) 349-2920 chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos E. PASCUAL embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynskyi Street, Kiev 01901 mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850 telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000 FAX: [380] (44) 244-7350

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky

Economy Ukraine

Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Now in his second term, President KUCHMA has pledged to reduce the number of government agencies, streamline the regulatory process, create a legal environment to encourage entrepreneurs, and enact a comprehensive tax overhaul. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP in 2000 showed strong export-based growth of 6% - the first growth since independence - and industrial production grew 12.9%. The economy continued to expand in 2001 as real GDP rose 9% and industrial output grew by over 14%. Growth of 4.1% in 2002 was more moderate, in part a reflection of faltering growth in the developed world. In general, growth has been undergirded by strong domestic demand, low inflation, and solid consumer and investor confidence. Growth was a sturdy 6% in 2003 despite a loss of mementum in needed economic reforms.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $218 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23% industry: 42% services: 35% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 29% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 23.2% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 29 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 22.8 million (yearend 1997)

Labor force - by occupation: industry 32%, agriculture 24%, services 44% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 3.8% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers (2002)

Budget: revenues: $10.2 billion expenditures: $11.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)

Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production: 164.7 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 48.6% hydro: 7.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 43.5%

Electricity - consumption: 152.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 800 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 86,490 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 290,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 197.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production: 18.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 74.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 55.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 560.7 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Exports: $18.1 billion (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products

Exports - partners: Russia 18.6%, Italy 7.4%, Turkey 5.6%, Germany 4.1%, China 4.1% (2002)

Imports: $18 billion (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities: energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners: Russia 32.3%, Germany 11.7%, Turkmenistan 7.4%, Poland 6%, Italy 4% (2002)

Debt - external: $14.2 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (1998)

Currency: hryvnia (UAH)

Currency code: UAH

Exchange rates: hryvnia per US dollar - 5.33 (2002), 5.37 (2001), 5.44 (2000), 4.13 (1999), 2.45 (1998)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Ukraine

Telephones - main lines in use: 9.45 million (April 1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 236,000 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate international: two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project which connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems

Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 45.05 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)

Televisions: 18.05 million (1997)

Internet country code: .ua

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 260 (2001)

Internet users: 750,000 (2001)

Transportation Ukraine

Railways: total: 22,473 km broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2002)

Highways: total: 169,491 km paved: 163,898 km unpaved: 5,593 km (2000)

Waterways: 4,499 km note: 1,672 km are on the Pryp'yat' and Dniester (Dnister) (1990)

Pipelines: gas 20,069 km; oil 4,435 km; refined products 4,098 km (2003)

Ports and harbors: Berdyans'k, Feodosiya, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson, Kiev (Kyyiv), Kiliya, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Sevastopol', Yalta, Yuzhnyy

Merchant marine: total: 131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 633,932 GRT/640,743 DWT ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 89, container 5, liquefied gas 2, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 10, railcar carrier 2, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 1, Greece 1, Panama 1, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 790 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 182 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 81 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 608 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 50 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 466 (2002)

Military Ukraine

Military branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Interior Troops, Border Troops

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 12,236,811 (2003 est.)