Introductory material (continued 16)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Leon PALMER embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 238-5114, 236-9320 FAX: [504] 236-9037

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy Honduras

Economy - overview: Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a three-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program in February 2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest trading partner, on commodity prices, particularly coffee, and on reduction of the high crime rate.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $18.79 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.7% industry: 32.1% services: 55.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 2.47 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 34%, industry 21%, services 45% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 28.5% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 53% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.6% highest 10%: 42.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 56.3 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 24.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $1.467 billion expenditures: $1.722 billion, including capital expenditures of $106 million (2004 est.)

Public debt: 74.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp

Industries: sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 3.626 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.2% hydro: 49.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 3.771 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 16 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 415 million kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Current account balance: $258.3 million (2003 est.)

Exports: $1.457 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Exports - partners: US 54.4%, El Salvador 8.1%, Germany 5.9%, Guatemala 5.4% (2004)

Imports: $3.332 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs (2000)

Imports - partners: US 37.5%, Guatemala 6.9%, Mexico 5.4%, Costa Rica 4.3%, El Salvador 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.464 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $5.365 billion (September 2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $557.8 million (1999)

Currency (code): lempira (HNL)

Currency code: HNL

Exchange rates: lempiras per US dollar - 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001), 14.839 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Honduras

Telephones - main lines in use: 322,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 326,500 (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate system domestic: NA international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations: AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Radios: 2.45 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 570,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .hn

Internet hosts: 1,944 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 8 (2000)

Internet users: 168,600 (2002)

Transportation Honduras

Railways: total: 699 km narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)

Highways: total: 13,603 km paved: 2,775 km unpaved: 10,828 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2004)

Ports and harbors: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Merchant marine: total: 137 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 598,600 GRT/616,158 DWT by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 67, chemical tanker 6, container 2, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 44 (Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 1, Greece 4, Hong Kong 2, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Singapore 12, South Korea 6, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, Turkey 1, United States 2, Vanuatu 1, Vietnam 1) registered in other countries: 1 (2005)

Airports: 115 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 104 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 84 (2004 est.)

Military Honduras

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary 2-3 year military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,448,369 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 955,019 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 77,399 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $100.6 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (2004)

Transnational Issues Honduras

Disputes - international: in 1992, ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border, but despite OAS intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize, but agreed to creation of a joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean in the failed 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum, which the OAS is attempting to revive; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex dispute over islands and maritime boundaries in the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Hong Kong

Introduction Hong Kong

Background: Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Geography Hong Kong

Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km

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

Land boundaries: total: 30 km regional border: China 30 km

Coastline: 733 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Land use: arable land: 5.05% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements: party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)

Geography - note: more than 200 islands

People Hong Kong

Population: 6,898,686 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 13.8% (male 498,771/female 454,252) 15-64 years: 73.5% (male 2,479,656/female 2,591,170) 65 years and over: 12.7% (male 404,308/female 470,529) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 39.4 years male: 39.3 years female: 39.6 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.65% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 7.23 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.5 years male: 78.81 years female: 84.41 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 0.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Chinese/Hong Konger adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%

Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 93.5% male: 96.9% female: 89.6% (2002)

Government Hong Kong

Country name: conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK

Dependency status: special administrative region of China

Government type: limited democracy

Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)

Independence: none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday: National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution: Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies

Executive branch: chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005) cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official members and 14 official members elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005; Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25 May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005 and 24 June 2005; last election 16 June 2005 to fill final two years of TUNG's term (next to be held in June 2007)

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group 62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10, independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; other 1

Judicial branch: Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong or DAB [MA Lik, chairman]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat, chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman] note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2524-0860

Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Economy Hong Kong

Economy - overview: Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e., including reexports to and from third countries) each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past six years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn in 2001 and 2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak also battered Hong Kong's economy, a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, a return of consumer confidence, and a solid rise in exports resulted in the resumption of strong growth in late 2003 and in 2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $234.5 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $34,200 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 11.3% services: 88.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 3.54 million (October 2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.2%, transport and communications 7.9%, community and social services 18.5% note: above data exclude public sector (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.7% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 22.7% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $26.6 billion expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (2004 est.)

Public debt: 2.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: fresh vegetables, poultry, fish, pork

Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 35.51 billion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption: 38.45 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports: 3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports: 10.4 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption: 257,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Natural gas - production: NA

Natural gas - consumption: 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)

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

Natural gas - imports: 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance: $14.85 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $268.1 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material

Exports - partners: China 44%, US 17%, Japan 5.3% (2004)

Imports: $275.9 billion (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)

Imports - partners: China 43.5%, Japan 12.1%, Taiwan 7.3%, US 5.3%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea 4.8% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $123.6 billion (31 December 2004 est.)

Debt - external: $66.94 billion (2004 est.)

Currency (code): Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

Currency code: HKD

Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Hong Kong

Telephones - main lines in use: 3,801,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 7,241,400 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios: 4.45 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (2004)

Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)

Internet country code: .hk

Internet hosts: 591,993 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)

Internet users: 3,212,800 (2003)

Transportation Hong Kong

Highways: total: 1,831 km paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors: Hong Kong

Merchant marine: total: 837 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455 DWT by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 446, cargo 119, chemical tanker 44, combination ore/oil 2, container 105, liquefied gas 20, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 75, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 8 foreign-owned: 453 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Belgium 3, Canada 9, China 246, Denmark 3, France 5, Germany 13, Greece 19, India 1, Indonesia 1, Israel 1, Japan 51, Norway 16, Philippines 13, Singapore 17, South Korea 8, Taiwan 5, Thailand 4, UAE 1, United Kingdom 32, United States 3) registered in other countries: 373 (2005)

Airports: 4 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Hong Kong

Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,743,972 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,403,088 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 40,343 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of China

Transnational Issues Hong Kong

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Howland Island

Introduction Howland Island

Background: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National Wildlife Refuge.

Geography Howland Island

Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 0 48 N, 176 38 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 1.6 sq km land: 1.6 sq km water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 6.4 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

People Howland Island

Population: uninhabited note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2005 est.)

Government Howland Island

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Howland Island

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

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

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Economy Howland Island

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Transportation Howland Island

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable (2004 est.)

Transportation - note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART

Military Howland Island

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

Transnational Issues Howland Island

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Hungary

Introduction Hungary

Background: Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.

Geography Hungary

Location: Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 93,030 sq km land: 92,340 sq km water: 690 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries: total: 2,171 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Tisza River 78 m highest point: Kekes 1,014 m

Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Land use: arable land: 50.09% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 47.85% (2001)

Irrigated land: 2,100 sq km (1998 est.)

Environment - current issues: the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments

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

Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

People Hungary

Population: 10,006,835 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 813,203/female 769,687) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 3,405,559/female 3,511,141) 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 547,323/female 959,922) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 38.57 years male: 36.1 years female: 41.24 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.26% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 9.76 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 13.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 8.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.4 years male: 68.18 years female: 76.89 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,800 (2001 est.)

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

Nationality: noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian

Ethnic groups: Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)

Languages: Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.5% female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

Government Hungary

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Budapest

Administrative divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 20 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros) : counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala : urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg : capital city: Budapest

Independence: 1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

National holiday: Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August

Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system

Legal system: rule of law based on Western model

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 September 2004 election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12 note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the third round

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 and 21 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - Fidesz/MDF 48.70%, MSzP 46.11%, SzDSz 4.92%, other 0.27%; seats by party - Fidesz 164, MSzP 178, MDF 24, SzDSz 20

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Democratic People's Party or MDNP [Erzsebet PUSZTAI, chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Istvan HILLER, chairman]; Hungarian Workers' Party or MMP [Gyula THURMER, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador George Herbert WALKER embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400 FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

Economy Hungary

Economy - overview: Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income one-half that of the Big Four European nations. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and acceded to the European Union in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $23 billion since 1989. Hungarian sovereign debt was upgraded in 2000 and together with the Czech Republic holds the highest rating among the Central European transition economies; however, ratings agencies have expressed concerns over Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits. Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 7% in 2004. Unemployment has persisted around the 6% level, but Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the OECD. Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by 2008, from about 5% in 2004, and orchestrating an orderly interest rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $149.3 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3% industry: 31.4% services: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 4.17 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 6.2%, industry 27.1%, services 66.7% (2002)

Unemployment rate: 5.9% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 8.6% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 20.5% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 24.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 22.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $46.07 billion expenditures: $51.36 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 58.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products

Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 9.6% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 34.07 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.1% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 39% other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 35.99 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 8.3 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 12.6 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 41,190 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 140,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 47,180 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 136,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 110.7 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 3.231 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 13.37 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 4 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 9.587 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 50.45 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $-7.941 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $54.62 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)

Exports - partners: Germany 31.4%, Austria 6.8%, France 5.7%, Italy 5.6%, UK 5.1% (2004)

Imports: $58.68 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)

Imports - partners: Germany 29.2%, Austria 8.3%, Russia 5.7%, Italy 5.5%, Netherlands 4.9%, China 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $14.8 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $57 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $4.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Currency (code): forint (HUF)

Currency code: HUF

Exchange rates: forints per US dollar - 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001), 282.18 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Hungary

Telephones - main lines in use: 3,666,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,862,800 (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: 7.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 4.42 million (1997)

Internet country code: .hu

Internet hosts: 383,071 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000)

Internet users: 1.6 million (2002)

Transportation Hungary

Railways: total: 7,937 km broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)

Highways: total: 159,568 km paved: 70,050 km (including 533 km of expressways) unpaved: 89,518 km (2002)

Waterways: 1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004)

Pipelines: gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Airports: 44 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 5 (2004 est.)

Military Hungary

Military branches: Ground Forces, Air Forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 2,303,116 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,780,513 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 63,847 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.08 billion (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.75% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Hungary

Disputes - international: in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits and voted down a referendum to extend dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Iceland

Introduction Iceland

Background: Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.

Geography Iceland

Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Geographic coordinates: 65 00 N, 18 00 W

Map references: Arctic Region

Area: total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 4,988 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Natural resources: fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Land use: arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

People Iceland

Population: 296,737 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.1% (male 33,302/female 32,257) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 99,513/female 96,886) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,723/female 19,056) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 34 years male: 33.53 years female: 34.49 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.91% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 13.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.19 years male: 78.13 years female: 82.34 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 220 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

Religions: Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)

Languages: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

Government Iceland

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island

Government type: constitutional republic

Capital: Reykjavik

Administrative divisions: 8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence: 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday: Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15 September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by parliament elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%, Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party - Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders: Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118

Flag description: blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Iceland

Economy - overview: Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007, slowly dropping until the end of the decade.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $9.373 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $31,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.2% industry: 9.6% services: 79.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 158,100 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, fishing and fish processing 10.3%, industry 18.3%, services 71.4% (2003)

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 23.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $4.154 billion expenditures: $4.058 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2004 est.)

Public debt: 35.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish

Industries: fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 8.8% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 8.271 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 7.692 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption: 16,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 15,470 bbl/day (2001)

Current account balance: $-570 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $2.902 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite

Exports - partners: UK 19.1%, Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 11.5%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.8%, Denmark 4.6% (2004)

Imports: $3.307 billion (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners: Germany 12.3%, US 9.9%, Norway 9.7%, Denmark 7.9%, UK 7.2%, Sweden 6.7%, Netherlands 6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $935 million (2004)

Debt - external: $3.073 billion (2002)

Economic aid - donor: $NA

Currency (code): Icelandic krona (ISK)

Currency code: ISK

Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001), 78.616 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Iceland

Telephones - main lines in use: 190,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 279,100 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: extensive domestic service domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 260,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 98,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .is

Internet hosts: 122,175 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 20 (2001)

Internet users: 195,000 (2003)

Transportation Iceland

Highways: total: 13,004 km paved/oiled gravel: 4,331 km unpaved: 8,673 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur

Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1 registered in other countries: 30 (2005)

Airports: 98 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 93 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)

Military Iceland

Military branches: no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic Coast Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 69,038 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 56,777 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: 0

Military - note: defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik

Transnational Issues Iceland

Disputes - international: Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@India

Introduction India

Background: The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

Geography India

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Land boundaries: total: 14,103 km border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline: 7,000 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Land use: arable land: 54.4% permanent crops: 2.74% other: 42.86% (2001)

Irrigated land: 590,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes

People India

Population: 1,080,264,388 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.2% (male 173,634,432/female 163,932,475) 15-64 years: 63.9% (male 356,932,082/female 333,283,590) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 26,542,025/female 25,939,784) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 24.66 years male: 24.64 years female: 24.67 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 22.32 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 56.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.35 years male: 63.57 years female: 65.16 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.78 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.9% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5.1 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 310,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are high risks in some locations animal contact disease: rabies (2004)

Nationality: noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian

Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 59.5% male: 70.2% female: 48.3% (2003 est.)

Government India

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

Government type: federal republic

Capital: New Delhi

Administrative divisions: 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

Constitution: 26 January 1950; amended many times

Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002); Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since NA May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held July 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May 2004 (next to be held 2009) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24, BSP 19, DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5, TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65)

Political parties and leaders: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [Debabrata BISWAS]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Lal Krishna ADVANI]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) Hakishan Singh SURJEET]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast

International organization participation: AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000 FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017 consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band

Economy India

Economy - overview: India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, though two-thirds of the workforce is in agriculture. The UPA government has committed to furthering economic reforms and developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost economic performance. Government controls on foreign trade and investment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs (averaging 20% in 2004) and limits on foreign direct investment are still in place. The government has indicated it will do more to liberalize investment in civil aviation, telecom, and insurance sectors in the near term. Privatization of government-owned industries has proceeded slowly, and continues to generate political debate; continued social, political, and economic rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an excellent average growth rate of 6.8% since 1994, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and others worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit, running at approximately 9% of GDP. The huge and growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and environmental problem. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took nearly 11,000 lives, left almost 6,000 missing, destroyed $1.2 billion worth of property, and severely damaged the fishing fleet.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.319 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.6% industry: 28.4% services: 48% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 482.2 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%, industry 17%, services 23% (1999)

Unemployment rate: 9.2% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 25% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37.8 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 23.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $67.3 billion expenditures: $104 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.5 billion (2004 est.)

Public debt: 59.7% of GDP (federal debt only; state debt not included) (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 547.2 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 510.1 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 350 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 1.54 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 780,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 2.13 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves: 5.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves: 542.4 billion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $4.897 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $69.18 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures

Exports - partners: US 17%, UAE 8.8%, China 5.5%, Hong Kong 4.7%, UK 4.5%, Singapore 4.5% (2004)

Imports: $89.33 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners: China 6.1%, US 6%, Switzerland 5.2%, Belgium 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $126 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $117.2 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $2.9 billion (FY98/99)

Currency (code): Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code: INR

Exchange rates: Indian rupees per US dollar - 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications India

Telephones - main lines in use: 48.917 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 26,154,400 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but telephone density remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest growth in fixed lines domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom circles each with about three private service providers and one state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT) international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic (2004)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios: 116 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions: 63 million (1997)

Internet country code: .in

Internet hosts: 86,871 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 43 (2000)

Internet users: 18.481 million (2003)

Transportation India

Railways: total: 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified) broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,106 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2004)

Highways: total: 2,525,989 km paved: 1,448,655 km unpaved: 1,077,334 km (1999)

Waterways: 14,500 km note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels (2004)

Pipelines: gas 6,171 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined products 5,567 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine: total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,555,507 GRT/11,069,791 DWT by type: bulk carrier 85, cargo 75, chemical tanker 13, combination ore/oil 1, container 7, liquefied gas 14, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 91, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 10 (Australia 1, China 1, Greece 1, UAE 6, United Kingdom 1) registered in other countries: 30 (2005)

Airports: 333 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 234 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 47 1,524 to 2,437 m: 78 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 99 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 45 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 20 (2004 est.)

Military India

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and Defense Security Corps)

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 287,551,111 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 219,471,999 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 11,446,452 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18.86 billion (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.93% (2005/06)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international: China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 60,922 (Sri Lanka) IDPs: 650,000 (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri Hindus); 113,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami) (2004)

Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Indian Ocean

Introduction Indian Ocean

Background: The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south.

Geography Indian Ocean

Location: body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references: Political Map of the World

Area: total: 68.556 million sq km note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative: about 5.5 times the size of the US

Coastline: 66,526 km

Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean

Terrain: surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards: occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches

Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Geography - note: major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

Economy Indian Ocean

Economy - overview: The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Transportation Indian Ocean

Ports and harbors: Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)

Transnational Issues Indian Ocean

Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Indonesia

Introduction Indonesia

Background: The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism, continuing the transition to popularly-elected governments after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, and holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations. Indonesia has been dealing with armed separatist movements in Aceh and in Papua.

Geography Indonesia

Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 5 00 S, 120 00 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: 1,919,440 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: total: 2,830 km border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

Coastline: 54,716 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources: petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Land use: arable land: 11.32% permanent crops: 7.23% other: 81.45% (2001)

Irrigated land: 48,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires

Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People Indonesia

Population: 241,973,879 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 35,823,456/female 34,590,631) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 79,447,560/female 79,449,399) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 5,526,389/female 7,136,444) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 26.48 years male: 26.03 years female: 26.93 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 20.71 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 35.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 40.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 30.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.57 years male: 67.13 years female: 72.13 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,400 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are high risks in some locations (2004)

Nationality: noun: Indonesian(s) adjective: Indonesian

Ethnic groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%

Religions: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87.9% male: 92.5% female: 83.4% (2002 est.)

Government Indonesia

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia conventional short form: Indonesia local long form: Republik Indonesia local short form: Indonesia former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Government type: republic

Capital: Jakarta

Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*; note - with the implementation of decentralization on 1 January 2001, the 357 districts or regencies became the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services

Independence: 17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949 (Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)

National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Constitution: August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age

Executive branch: chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004); cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year terms by direct vote of the citizenry; last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2009) election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and impeaching President and in amending constitution; consists of popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate national policy elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P 18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others 19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN 53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50 note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not always follow the number of votes received by parties

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a separate Constitutional Court or Makhama Konstitusi was invested by the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

Political parties and leaders: Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA, chairman]; Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO, chairman]; Functional Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA, chairman]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri, chairperson]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Alwi SHIHAB, chairman]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Amien RAIS, chairman]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [MAHFUD, acting chairman]; United Development Party or PPP [Hamzah HAZ, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador SOEMADI Brotodiningrat chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200 FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 3-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520 telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000 FAX: [62] (21) 385-7189 consulate(s) general: Surabaya

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy Indonesia

Economy - overview: Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has restored financial stability and pursued sober fiscal policies since the Asian financial crisis, but many economic development problems remain, including high unemployment, a fragile banking sector, endemic corruption, inadequate infrastructure, a poor investment climate, and unequal resource distribution among regions. Indonesia became a net oil importer in 2004 due to declining production and lack of new exploration investment. As a result, Jakarta is not reaping the benefits of high world oil prices, and the cost of subsidizing domestic fuel prices has placed an increasing strain on the budget. Keys to future growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of international and domestic investors, and strong global economic growth. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took nearly 127,000 lives, left more than 93,000 missing and nearly 441,000 displaced, and destroyed $4.5 to $5.0 billion worth of property.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $827.4 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.6% industry: 45% services: 40.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 111.5 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 45%, industry 16%, services 39% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.2% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 27% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 26.7% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 16.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $52.13 billion expenditures: $55.88 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 56.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra, poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Industries: petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 110.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 86.9% hydro: 10.5% nuclear: 0% other: 2.6% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 92.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 971,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption: 1.183 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports: 518,100 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports: 370,500 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves: 4.9 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 77.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 55.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 39.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.549 trillion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $7.338 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $69.86 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber

Exports - partners: Japan 22.3%, US 12.3%, Singapore 8.4%, South Korea 6.8%, China 6.4%, Malaysia 4.2% (2004)

Imports: $45.07 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Singapore 13.1%, Japan 13.1%, China 8.8%, US 7%, Thailand 6%, Australia 4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.2%, South Korea 4.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $35.82 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $141.5 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $43 billion note: Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but still receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for 2004 and again in 2005; nearly $4 billion in aid money pledged by a variety of foreign governments and other groups following the 2004 tsunami; money is slated for use in relief and rebuilding efforts in Aceh.

Currency (code): Indonesian rupiah (IDR)

Currency code: IDR

Exchange rates: Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002), 10,260.8 (2001), 8,421.8 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year

Communications Indonesia

Telephones - main lines in use: 7.75 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 11.7 million (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: domestic service fair, international service good domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite communications system international: country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)

Radios: 31.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 41 (1999)

Televisions: 13.75 million (1997)

Internet country code: .id

Internet hosts: 62,036 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 24 (2000)

Internet users: 8 million (2002)

Transportation Indonesia

Railways: total: 6,458 km narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)

Highways: total: 342,700 km paved: 158,670 km unpaved: 184,030 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 21,579 km note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km (2004)

Pipelines: condensate 850 km; condensate/gas 128 km; gas 8,506 km; oil 7,472 km; oil/gas/water 66 km; refined products 1,329 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Merchant marine: total: 728 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,192,847 GRT/4,319,739 DWT by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 409, chemical tanker 19, container 36, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 125, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 2 foreign-owned: 19 (France 1, Japan 3, Philippines 1, Singapore 11, Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 2) registered in other countries: 113 (2005)

Airports: 667 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 154 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 44 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 513 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 480 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 22 (2004 est.)

Military Indonesia

Military branches: Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI): Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes Marines, Naval Air arm), Air Force (TNI-AU)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 60,543,028 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 48,687,234 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 2,201,047 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.3 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3% (2004)

Transnational Issues Indonesia

Disputes - international: East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the boundary remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which hinders a decision on a northern maritime boundary; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 left maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil block; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 535,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi Provinces); 441,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunmai) (2004)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Iran

Introduction Iran

Background: Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over the government.

Geography Iran

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 1.648 million sq km land: 1.636 million sq km water: 12,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: total: 5,440 km border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

Coastline: 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use: arable land: 8.72% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 89.89% (2001)

Irrigated land: 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues: air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

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

Geography - note: strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

People Iran

Population: 68,017,860 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.1% (male 9,465,475/female 8,973,828) 15-64 years: 68% (male 23,556,970/female 22,701,065) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,637,512/female 1,683,010) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 24.23 years male: 24.03 years female: 24.44 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.86% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 41.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 41.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.96 years male: 68.58 years female: 71.4 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 31,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 800 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Iranian(s) adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.4% male: 85.6% female: 73% (2003 est.)