Introductory material (continued 13)

1,700 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups:

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Languages:

Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92.3% female: 89.7% (2001 census)

Education expenditures:

1% of GDP (2001)

Government Ecuador

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Quito geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Independence:

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Constitution:

10 August 1998

Legal system:

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

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO Garces (since 15 January 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election on 26 November 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: Rafael CORREA Delgado elected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 56.7%; Alvaro NOBOA 43.3%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5; other 6; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties; as of 29 November 2007, Congress is on indefinite recess while a Constituent Assembly is convened

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the Constitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a simple-majority resolution)

Political parties and leaders:

Alianza PAIS Movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado]; Christian Democratic Union or UDC [Diego ORDONEZ Guerrero]; Democratic Left or ID [Andres PAEZ Benalcazar]; Ethical and Democratic Network or RED [Leon ROLDOS]; Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement - New Country or MUPP-NP [Jorge GUAMAN]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Ciro GUZMAN Aldaz]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Gustavo AYALA Cruz]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Marlon SANTI, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president]

International organization participation:

CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINURCAT, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200 FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Heather HODGES embassy: Avenida Avigiras E12-170 y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito mailing address: Avenida Guayacanes N52-205 y Avenida Avigiras telephone: [593] (2) 398-5000 FAX: [593] (2) 398-5100 consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

Flag description:

three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

Economy Ecuador

Economy - overview:

Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with GDP contracted by more than 6%, with a significant increase in poverty. The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its external debt later that year. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. From 2002-06 the economy grew 5.5%, the highest five-year average in 25 years. The poverty rate declined but remained high at 38% in 2006. In 2006 the government of Alfredo PALACIO (2005-07) seized the assets of Occidental Petroleum for alleged contract violations and imposed a windfall revenue tax on foreign oil companies, leading to the suspension of free trade negotiations with the US. These measures, combined with chronic underinvestment in the state oil company, Petroecuador, led to a drop in petroleum production in 2007. PALACIO's successor, Rafael CORREA, raised the specter of debt default - but Ecuador has paid its debt on time. He also decreed a higher windfall revenue tax on private oil companies, then sought to renegotiate their contracts to overcome the debilitating effect of the tax. This generated economic uncertainty; private investment has dropped and economic growth has slowed significantly.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$98.71 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$44.18 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$7,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6.7% industry: 35.1% services: 58.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.51 million (urban) (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 8% industry: 24% services: 68% (2001)

Unemployment rate:

8.8% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

38.3% (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 35% note: data for urban households only (October 2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

46 note: data are for urban households (2006)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $13.46 billion expenditures: planned $11.96 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

33.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

10.72% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

12.08% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.395 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$7.974 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$8.926 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

Industries:

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate:

1.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

14.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

12.9 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

38.53 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

861 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 81% hydro: 19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

511,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

160,500 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

421,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

47,060 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

4.517 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

280 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

280 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

9.369 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$1.064 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$14.37 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, hemp, wood, fish

Exports - partners:

US 41.9%, Peru 8.5%, Chile 4.9%, Russia 4.8%, Colombia 4.7% (2007)

Imports:

$12.76 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

industrial materials, fuels and lubricants, nondurable consumer goods

Imports - partners:

US 23.7%, Colombia 10.3%, China 7.6%, Brazil 5.3%, Japan 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$209.5 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.521 billion (30 November 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$17.12 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$16.31 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.456 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$4.04 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used; the sucre was eliminated in 2000

Communications Ecuador

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.805 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

10.086 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded domestic: fixed-line services provided by three state-owned enterprises; plans to transfer the state-owned operators to private ownership have repeatedly failed; fixed-line density stands at about 13 per 100 persons; mobile cellular use has surged and has a subscribership of nearly 75 per 100 persons international: country code - 593; landing point for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable that provides links to the west coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)

Radios:

5 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:

7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:

2.5 million (2001)

Internet country code:

.ec

Internet hosts:

45,404 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

31 (2001)

Internet users:

1.549 million (2006)

Transportation Ecuador

Airports:

406 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 104 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 54 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 302 914 to 1,523 m: 34 under 914 m: 268 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

extra heavy crude oil 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,389 km; refined products 1,185 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 966 km narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 43,670 km paved: 6,472 km unpaved: 37,198 km (2006)

Waterways:

1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 37 by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (US 1) registered in other countries: 5 (China 1, Panama 4) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar

Military Ecuador

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

20 years of age for selective conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,536,602 females age 16-49: 3,559,188 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,030,664 females age 16-49: 3,037,892 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 144,821 female: 139,091 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.8% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Ecuador

Disputes - international:

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border, which thousands of Colombians also cross to escape the violence in their home country

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 11,526 (Colombia); note - UNHCR estimates as many as 250,000 Columbians are seeking asylum in Ecuador, many of whom do not register as refugees for fear of deportation (2007)

Illicit drugs:

significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with over half of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Egypt

Introduction Egypt

Background:

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the British-backed monarchy in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's growing population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.

Geography Egypt

Location:

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:

27 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries:

total: 2,665 km border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km

Coastline:

2,450 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Terrain:

vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Land use:

arable land: 2.92% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 96.58% (2005)

Irrigated land:

34,220 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

86.8 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%) per capita: 923 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:

agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

Environment - international agreements:

party to: 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees

People Egypt

Population:

81,713,520 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31.8% (male 13,292,961/female 12,690,711) 15-64 years: 63.5% (male 26,257,440/female 25,627,390) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,636,560/female 2,208,455) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 24.5 years male: 24.1 years female: 24.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.682% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

22.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.09 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 28.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 30.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 71.85 years male: 69.3 years female: 74.52 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.72 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

12,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

700 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic groups:

Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)

Religions:

Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%

Languages:

Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.4% male: 83% female: 59.4% (2005 est.)

Education expenditures:

4.2% of GDP (2006)

Government Egypt

Country name:

conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt conventional short form: Egypt local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah local short form: Misr former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Cairo geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in September

Administrative divisions:

26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah (El Beheira), Al Fayyum (El Faiyum), Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah (El Monofia), Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf (Beni Suef), Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh (Western Desert), Qina (Qena), Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj (Sohag)

Independence:

28 February 1922 (from UK)

National holiday:

Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

Constitution:

11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26 March 2007

Legal system:

based on Islamic and civil law (particularly Napoleonic codes); judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September 1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7 September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011 election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%

Legislative branch:

bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura that traditionally functions only in a consultative role but 2007 constitutional amendments could grant the Council new powers (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half of the elected members) elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and 20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December 2010); Advisory Council - last held June 2007 (next to be held May-June 2010) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1, independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10 seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 84, Tagammu 1, independents 3

Judicial branch:

Supreme Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders:

National Democratic Party or NDP (governing party) [Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Mahmoud ABAZA]; Tomorrow Party [Moussa Mustafa MOUSSA] note: formation of political parties must be approved by the government; only parties with representation in elected bodies are listed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Muslim Brotherhood (technically illegal) note: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties and political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition

International organization participation:

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, COMESA, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (designate) Sameh SHOUKRY chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret SCOBEY embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900; 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo telephone: [20] (2) 2797-3300 FAX: [20] (2) 2797-3200

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

Economy Egypt

Economy - overview:

Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President Gamel Abdel NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF's government reduced personal and corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP grew about 5% per year in 2005-06, and topped 7% in 2007. Despite these achievements, the government has failed to raise living standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue providing subsidies for basic necessities. The subsidies have contributed to a sizeable budget deficit - roughly 7.5% of GDP in 2007 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign direct investment has increased significantly in the past two years, but the NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive pursuit of reforms in order to sustain the spike in investment and growth and begin to improve economic conditions for the broader population. Egypt's export sectors - particularly natural gas - have bright prospects.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$405.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$127.9 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$5,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.8% industry: 38.1% services: 48% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

22.1 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 32% industry: 17% services: 51% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:

9.1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

20% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

34.4 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $35.05 billion expenditures: $44.83 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

105.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

9.5% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

9% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

12.51% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$27.6 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$102.6 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$113.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats

Industries:

textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures

Industrial production growth rate:

7.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

109.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

96.2 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

557 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

208 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 81% hydro: 19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

664,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

652,700 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

204,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

140,000 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

3.7 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

47.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

31.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

15.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

1.656 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$500.9 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$24.45 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals

Exports - partners:

US 9.7%, Italy 9.5%, Spain 7.6%, Syria 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, UK 4.2% (2007)

Imports:

$44.95 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels

Imports - partners:

US 11.7%, China 9.7%, Italy 6.4%, Germany 6.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Russia 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

ODA, $925.9 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$31.37 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$29.2 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$48.46 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.295 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$93.48 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Egyptian pound (EGP)

Currency code:

EGP

Exchange rates:

Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar - 5.67 (2007), 5.725 (2006), 5.78 (2005), 6.1962 (2004), 5.8509 (2003)

Communications Egypt

Telephones - main lines in use:

11.229 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

30.065 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Telecom Egypt, the landline monopoly, has been increasing service availability and in 2007 fixed-line density stood at 14 per 100 persons; as of 2007 there were three mobile-cellular networks and service is expanding rapidly domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 20; landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios:

20.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

98 (September 1995)

Televisions:

7.7 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.eg

Internet hosts:

175,342 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

50 (2000)

Internet users:

8.62 million (2007)

Transportation Egypt

Airports:

88 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 72 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 under 914 m: 5 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2007)

Heliports:

3 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 483 km; condensate/gas 74 km; gas 6,466 km; liquid petroleum gas 957 km; oil 5,518 km; oil/gas/water 37 km; refined products 895 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 5,063 km standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 92,370 km paved: 74,820 km unpaved: 17,550 km (2004)

Waterways:

3,500 km note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 67 by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 28, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 9 foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 1, Greece 8, Lebanon 1) registered in other countries: 58 (Cambodia 13, Georgia 12, Honduras 3, North Korea 1, Malta 1, Moldova 1, Panama 17, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3, Togo 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Ayn Sukhnah, Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Sidi Kurayr, Suez

Military Egypt

Military branches:

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military service age and obligation:

18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation 12-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 21,247,777 females age 16-49: 20,406,408 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 18,153,158 females age 16-49: 17,405,837 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 825,300 female: 786,590 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Egypt

Disputes - international:

while Sudan retains claim to the Hala'ib Triangle north of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, both states withdrew their military presence in the 1990s and Egypt has invested in and effectively administers the area; Egypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its maps; Gazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 60,000 - 80,000 (Iraq); 70,198 (Palestinian Territories); 12,157 (Sudan) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked from Eastern European countries to Israel for sexual exploitation, and is a source for children trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, although the extent to which children are trafficked internally is unknown; children were also recruited for domestic and agricultural work; some of these children face conditions of involuntary servitude, such as restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third year in a row because it did not provide evidence of increasing efforts to investigate and prosecute traffickers; however, in July 2007, the government established the "National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons," which improved inter-governmental coordination on anti-trafficking initiatives; Egypt made no discernible efforts to punish trafficking crimes in 2007 and the Egyptian penal code does not prohibit all forms of trafficking; Egypt did not increase its services to trafficking victims during the reporting period (2008)

Illicit drugs:

transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@El Salvador

Introduction El Salvador

Background:

El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.

Geography El Salvador

Location:

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates:

13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline:

307 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain:

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources:

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 31.37% permanent crops: 11.88% other: 56.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:

450 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

25.2 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%) per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

People El Salvador

Population:

7,066,403 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35.8% (male 1,291,147/female 1,237,453) 15-64 years: 59% (male 1,987,671/female 2,179,620) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 162,100/female 208,412) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 22.2 years male: 21.1 years female: 23.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.679% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

25.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.06 years male: 68.45 years female: 75.84 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.04 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

2,200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:

mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)

Languages:

Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Literacy:

definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 80.2% male: 82.8% female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.1% of GDP (2006)

Government El Salvador

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: San Salvador geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

20 December 1983

Legal system:

based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma Albanez DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma Albanez DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2009) election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president; percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL 35.6%, Hector SILVA 3.9%, other 2.8%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (15 judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly; the 15 judges are assigned to four Supreme Court chambers - constitutional, civil, penal, and administrative conflict)

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU); Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar HERNANDEZ Carcamo]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI

International organization participation:

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez chancery: 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671 FAX: [1] (202) 234-3763 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey), Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales (Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington (DC), Woodbridge (Virginia), Woodstock (Georgia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. GLAZER embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023; 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450 telephone: [503] 2501-2999 FAX: [503] 2501-2150

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

Economy El Salvador

Economy - overview:

The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been modest in recent years. Robust growth in non-traditional exports have offset declines in the maquila exports, while remittances and external aid offset the trade deficit from high oil prices and strong import demand for consumer and intermediate goods. El Salvador leads the region in remittances per capita with inflows equivalent to nearly all export income. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which El Salvador was the first to ratify, has strengthened an already positive export trend. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency in 2001, El Salvador lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy. The current government has pursued economic diversification, with some success in promoting textile production, international port services, and tourism through tax incentives. It is committed to opening the economy to trade and investment, and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending to telecom, electricity distribution, banking, and pension funds. In late 2006, the government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a five-year, $461 million compact to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty in the country's northern region through investments in education, public services, enterprise development, and transportation infrastructure.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$41.63 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$20.37 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$6,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 10.8% industry: 30.8% services: 58.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.913 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 19% industry: 23% services: 58% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

6.2% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

30.7% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 38.8% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

52.4 (2002)

Investment (gross fixed):

16.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $3.659 billion expenditures: $3.709 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

37.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA

Stock of money:

$1.802 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$764.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$9.729 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp

Industries:

food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Industrial production growth rate:

3.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.338 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

4.426 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

8.64 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11.08 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 44% hydro: 30.9% nuclear: 0% other: 25.1% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - consumption:

44,330 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

4,963 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports:

45,210 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$1.119 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.035 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity

Exports - partners:

US 51%, Guatemala 13.6%, Honduras 11.2%, Nicaragua 5.5% (2007)

Imports:

$8.108 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Imports - partners:

US 35.7%, Mexico 9.8%, Guatemala 8.5%, China 4.7% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$267.6 million of which $55 million from US (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.199 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$9.574 billion (December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$5.918 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$384 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$3.623 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001

Communications El Salvador

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.08 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6.137 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: multiple mobile-cellular service providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2007 mobile-cellular density stood at nearly 90 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 52, FM 144, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:

2.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

5 (1997)

Televisions:

600,000 (1990)

Internet country code:

.sv

Internet hosts:

11,434 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

4 (2000)

Internet users:

700,000 (2006)

Transportation El Salvador

Airports:

65 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 48 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Railways:

total: 562 km narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge note: railways not in operation since 2005 because of disuse and high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2007)

Roadways:

total: 10,886 km paved: 2,827 km (includes 327 km of expressways) unpaved: 8,059 km (2000)

Waterways:

Rio Lempa partially navigable for small craft (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco

Military El Salvador

Military branches:

Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; service obligation - 8 months, but 11 months for officers and NCOs (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,634,816 females age 16-49: 1,775,474 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,168,406 females age 16-49: 1,519,375 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 73,915 female: 71,252 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues El Salvador

Disputes - international:

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, in 1992, with final agreement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Equatorial Guinea

Introduction Equatorial Guinea

Background:

Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.

Geography Equatorial Guinea

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates:

2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 28,051 sq km land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline:

296 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain:

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay

Land use:

arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Total renewable water resources:

26 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.11 cu km/yr (83%/16%/1%) per capita: 220 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues:

tap water is not potable; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

insular and continental regions widely separated

People Equatorial Guinea

Population:

616,459 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 42% (male 131,696/female 127,253) 15-64 years: 53.8% (male 162,458/female 169,445) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 11,394/female 14,213) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 18.9 years male: 18.3 years female: 19.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.732% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

37.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 83.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 82.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 61.23 years male: 60.36 years female: 62.13 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.16 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

3.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5,900 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

370 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups:

Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other 1.4% (1994 census)

Religions:

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Languages:

Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87% male: 93.4% female: 80.5% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2000)

Education expenditures:

0.6% of GDP (2003)

Government Equatorial Guinea

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale former: Spanish Guinea

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Malabo geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Independence:

12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution:

approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995

Legal system:

partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup) head of government: Prime Minister Ignacio Milan TANG (since 8 July 2008); cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held in December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Legislative branch:

unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held 4 May 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 2 note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president

Judicial branch:

Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:

Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MICO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union or UP

Political pressure groups and leaders:

ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP (associate), FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: K-3, Carreterade Aeropuerto, al lado de Restaurante El Paraiso, Malabo; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 2220-1500 FAX: [237] 2220-1572

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)

Economy Equatorial Guinea

Economy - overview:

The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Government officials and their family members own most businesses. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2007, led by oil.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$15.54 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$10.49 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

12.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$28,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.9% industry: 92.2% services: 4.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

NA

Unemployment rate:

30% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

37.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $4.963 billion expenditures: $2.494 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

1.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$835.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$174.5 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

NA

Agriculture - products:

coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber

Industries:

petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas

Industrial production growth rate:

10.1% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

27 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

25.11 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 94.3% hydro: 5.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

368,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

918.3 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

375,400 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

1,070 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

1.3 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

1.3 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$415 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$9.904 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa

Exports - partners:

US 20.6%, China 18.8%, Spain 13.9%, Taiwan 13.4%, France 7.5%, Japan 6.5%, Portugal 6.4% (2007)

Imports:

$3.083 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum sector equipment, other equipment

Imports - partners:

US 19.6%, Spain 13.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.9%, France 9.6%, China 7.7%, Italy 6.6%, UK 6.4%, Netherlands 4.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$39 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.846 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$338 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Currency (code):

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code:

XAF

Exchange rates:

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)

Communications Equatorial Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use:

10,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

220,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and good mobile coverage domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2007 stood at about 40 percent of the population international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2001)

Radios:

180,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.gq

Internet hosts:

9 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2002)

Internet users:

8,000 (2006)

Transportation Equatorial Guinea

Airports:

5 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 42 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 80 km; oil 54 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 2,880 km (2000)

Merchant marine:

total: 1 by type: cargo 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Bata, Malabo

Military Equatorial Guinea

Military branches:

National Guard (Guardia Nacional (Army), with Coast Guard (Navy) and Air Wing) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age (est.) for compulsory military service (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 136,725 females age 16-49: 138,018 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 101,712 females age 16-49: 104,381 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 6,784 female: 6,543 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Equatorial Guinea

Disputes - international:

in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delay final delimitation; UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Equatorial Guinea is primarily a destination country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and possibly for the purpose of sexual exploitation; children have been trafficked from nearby countries for domestic servitude, market labor, ambulant vending, and possibly sexual exploitation; women may also be trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from Cameroon, Benin, other neighboring countries, and China for sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking, particularly in the areas of prosecuting and convicting trafficking offenders and failing to formalize mechanisms to provide assistance to victims; although the government made some effort to enforce laws against child labor exploitation, it failed to report any trafficking prosecutions or convictions in 2007; the government continued to lack shelters or formal procedures for providing care to victims (2008)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Eritrea

Introduction Eritrea

Background:

Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On 30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory, including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from the TSZ which it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not accepted the virtual demarcation decision.

Geography Eritrea

Location:

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:

total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Coastline:

2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Terrain:

dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources:

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

Land use:

arable land: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005)

Irrigated land:

210 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

6.3 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.3 cu km/yr (3%/0%/97%) per capita: 68 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent droughts; locust swarms

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

Environment - international agreements:

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

Geography - note:

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

People Eritrea

Population:

5,502,026 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43% (male 1,188,496/female 1,178,520) 15-64 years: 53.4% (male 1,437,653/female 1,502,449) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 89,634/female 105,274) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 18.3 years male: 17.9 years female: 18.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.631% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

34.94 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.63 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 44.34 deaths/1,000 live births male: 50.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 61.38 years male: 59.35 years female: 63.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.84 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

60,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

6,300 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups:

Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%

Religions:

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages:

Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58.6% male: 69.9% female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 5 years male: 6 years female: 4 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

2.4% of GDP (2006)

Government Eritrea

Country name:

conventional long form: State of Eritrea conventional short form: Eritrea local long form: Hagere Ertra local short form: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Government type:

transitional government note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Capital:

name: Asmara (Asmera) geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Independence:

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

Constitution:

a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented

Legal system:

primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993) cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely

Judicial branch:

High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts

Political parties and leaders:

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has yet to debate or vote on it

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald MCMULLEN embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584

Flag description:

red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle

Economy Eritrea

Economy - overview:

Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency, limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy is heavily dependent on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have not been able to meet the food needs of the country. The government continues to place its hope for additional revenue on the development of several international mining projects. Despite difficulties for international companies in working with the Eritrean government, a Canadian mining company signed a contract with the GSE in 2007 and plans to begin mineral extraction in 2010. Eritrea also anticipates opening a free trade zone at the port of Massawa in 2008. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$3.619 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.316 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

1.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 17.5% industry: 23.2% services: 59.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

NA

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

50% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

19.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $234.6 million expenditures: $471.4 million (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

17% (2007 est.)

Stock of money:

$749.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$932.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.711 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Industries:

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement

Industrial production growth rate:

2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

253 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

216 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

5,186 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

54.74 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

4,924 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$205 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$12 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures

Exports - partners:

Italy 34.4%, China 16.2%, Sudan 15.2%, France 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.2%, Australia 4.4% (2007)

Imports:

$573 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 19.1%, Italy 15.1%, China 11.1%, Turkey 8.3%, Germany 7.2%, Ukraine 5.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$355.2 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$23 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$311 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):

nakfa (ERN)

Currency code:

ERN

Exchange rates:

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.5 (2007), 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003) note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar

Communications Eritrea

Telephones - main lines in use:

37,500 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

70,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular subscribership is only about 2 per 100 persons domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)

Radios:

345,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

2 (2006)

Televisions:

1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.er

Internet hosts:

1,074 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

5 (2001)

Internet users:

120,000 (2007)

Transportation Eritrea

Airports:

18 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Railways:

total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)

Merchant marine:

total: 5 by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Assab, Massawa

Military Eritrea

Military branches:

Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,108,836 females age 16-49: 1,096,120 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 715,531 females age 16-49: 731,511 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 60,490 female: 60,639 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

6.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Eritrea

Disputes - international:

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 32,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central border region) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Estonia

Introduction Estonia

Background:

After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Geography Estonia

Location:

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates:

59 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 45,226 sq km land: 43,211 sq km water: 2,015 sq km note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined

Land boundaries:

total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km

Coastline:

3,794 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states

Climate:

maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers

Terrain:

marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m

Natural resources:

oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud

Land use:

arable land: 12.05% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 87.6% (2005)

Irrigated land:

40 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

21.1 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%) per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

sometimes flooding occurs in the spring

Environment - current issues:

air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one-20th the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations

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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands

People Estonia

Population:

1,307,605 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.9% (male 100,143/female 94,450) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 420,896/female 462,072) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 76,171/female 153,873) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.6 years male: 36.2 years female: 43.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.632% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.28 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

13.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.56 years male: 67.16 years female: 78.3 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.42 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

7,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian

Ethnic groups:

Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)

Religions:

Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census)

Languages:

Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 17 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.1% of GDP (2004)

Government Estonia

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: Estonia local long form: Eesti Vabariik local short form: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Tallinn geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru) note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses

Independence:

20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:

adopted 28 June 1992

Legal system:

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6

Judicial branch:

National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)

Political parties and leaders:

Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8265

Flag description:

pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

Economy Estonia

Economy - overview:

Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$28.69 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$21.28 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$21,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3% industry: 28.5% services: 68.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

687,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

5% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

34 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

31.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $7.854 billion expenditures: $7.171 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

3.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.46% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$7.158 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.253 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$21.35 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish

Industries:

engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.158 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

7.331 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

3.179 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

400 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Oil - production:

7,430 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

30,440 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

7,000 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

28,170 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$3.771 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$11.08 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)

Exports - partners:

Finland 17.9%, Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 11.4%, Russia 8.9%, Lithuania 5.8%, Germany 5.2%, US 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$14.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

Imports - partners:

Finland 15.9%, Germany 12.8%, Sweden 10.1%, Russia 10%, Latvia 7.6%, Lithuania 6.9%, Poland 4.5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$135.5 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$24.82 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$16.59 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$5.873 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$5.963 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Estonian kroon (EEK)

Currency code:

EEK

Exchange rates:

krooni (EEK) per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003) note: the krooni is pegged to the euro

Communications Estonia

Telephones - main lines in use:

495,500 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.982 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios:

1.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

3 (2001)

Televisions:

605,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.ee

Internet hosts:

645,495 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

38 (2001)

Internet users:

780,000 (2007)

Transportation Estonia

Airports:

19 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 859 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 968 km broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 57,016 km paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways) unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)

Waterways:

320 km (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 29 by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 2, chemical tanker 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Norway 2) registered in other countries: 85 (Antigua and Barbuda 23, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 7, Finland 2, Latvia 2, Liberia 1, Malta 11, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Sweden 2, Vanuatu 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

Military Estonia

Military branches:

Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 306,273 females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 218,448 females age 16-49: 264,187 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 8,322 female: 7,846 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Estonia

Disputes - international:

Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Illicit drugs:

growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Ethiopia

Introduction Ethiopia

Background:

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission in November 2007 remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Geography Ethiopia

Location:

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates:

8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km