THE WORLD FACTBOOK :: WHAT'S NEW (continued 4)
Reading edition
Terrain:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m
note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater
Natural resources:
iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)
Natural hazards:
katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf
Environment - current issues:
in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming
Geography - note:
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable
People ::Antarctica
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations
note: 29 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty); the population doing and supporting science or engaged in the management and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately 4,400 in summer to 1,100 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak summer (December-February) population - 4,490 total; Argentina 667, Australia 200, Australia and Romania jointly 13, Belgium 20, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 18, Chile 359, China 90, Czech Republic 20, Ecuador 26, Finland 20, France 125, France and Italy jointly 60, Germany 90, India 65, Italy 102, Japan 125, South Korea 70, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia 429, South Africa 80, Spain 50, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 217, US 1,293, Uruguay 70 (2008-2009); winter (June-August) station population - 1,106 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12, Chile 114, China 29, France 26, France and Italy jointly 13, Germany 9, India 25, Japan 40, South Korea 18, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 337, Uruguay 9 (2009); research stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60 degrees south latitude) by National Antarctic Programs: year-round stations - 40 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 6, China 2, France 1, France and Italy jointly 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1 (2009); a range of seasonal-only (summer) stations, camps, and refuges - Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania (with Australia), Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, and Uruguay (2008-2009); in addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research (May 2009 est.)
Government ::Antarctica
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica
Government type:
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Baltimore, MD, USA in April 2009; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; by May 2009, there were 47 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 19 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Belarus (2006), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Monaco (2008), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Legal system:
Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty; note - US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit its website at www.nsf.gov
Economy ::Antarctica
Economy - overview:
Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2006-07 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 126,976 metric tons (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides - also known as Chilean sea bass), is a serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 45,652 tourists visited the Antarctic Treaty area in the 2007-08 Antarctic summer, up from the 36,460 visitors in 2006-2007, and the 30,877 visitors in 2005-2006 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO); this does not include passengers on overflights). Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips last approximately two weeks.
Communications ::Antarctica
Telephones - main lines in use:
0; note - information for US bases only (2001) country comparison to the world: 231
Telephone system:
general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations
international: country code - none allocated; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) to and from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
FM 2, shortwave 1 (information for US bases only); note - many research stations have a local FM radio station (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (cable system with 6 channels; American Forces Antarctic Network-McMurdo - information for US bases only) (2002)
Internet country code:
.aq
Internet hosts:
7,758 (2009) country comparison to the world: 126
Transportation ::Antarctica
Airports:
25 (2009) country comparison to the world: 129
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 6 (2009)
Heliports:
53
note: all year-round and seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs stations have some kind of helicopter landing facilities, prepared (helipads) or unprepared (2007)
Ports and terminals:
there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most coastal stations have sparse and intermittent offshore anchorages; a few stations have basic wharf facilities
Transportation - note:
US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E) and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south have to be complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA), a commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area
Military ::Antarctica
Military - note:
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes
Transnational Issues ::Antarctica
Disputes - international:
the Antarctic Treaty freezes, and most states do not recognize, the land and maritime territorial claims made by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom (some overlapping) for three-fourths of the continent; the US and Russia reserve the right to make claims; no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; the International Whaling Commission created a sanctuary around the entire continent to deter catches by countries claiming to conduct scientific whaling; Australia has established a similar preserve in the waters around its territorial claim
page last updated on October 28, 2009
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@Antigua and Barbuda (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Antigua and Barbuda
Background:
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Geography ::Antigua and Barbuda
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
17 03 N, 61 48 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) country comparison to the world: 199 land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
153 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural resources:
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use:
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.005 cu km/yr (60%/20%/20%)
per capita: 63 cu m/yr (1990)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly
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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor
People ::Antigua and Barbuda
Population:
85,632 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.8% (male 11,660/female 11,303)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 26,597/female 30,414)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 2,456/female 3,202) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.7 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 31.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.303% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Birth rate:
16.59 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Death rate:
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Net migration rate:
2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Urbanization:
urban population: 30% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.25 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 120 male: 18.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.76 years country comparison to the world: 87 male: 72.81 years
female: 76.81 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.07 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups:
black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), local dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 85.8%
male: NA
female: NA (2003 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2002) country comparison to the world: 106
Government ::Antigua and Barbuda
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Saint John's
geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Independence:
1 November 1981 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)
Constitution:
1 November 1981
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Louisse LAKE-TACK (since 17 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 50.9%, ALP 47.2%, BPM 1.1%; seats by party - UPP 9, ALP 7, BPM 1
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court consisting of a High Court of Justice and a Court of Appeal (based in Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court are residents of the islands and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); Magistrates' Courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Flag description:
red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand
Economy ::Antigua and Barbuda
Economy - overview:
Antigua has a relatively high GDP per capita in comparison to most other Caribbean nations. The economy experienced solid growth from 2003 to 2007, reaching over 12% in 2006 driven by a construction boom in hotels and housing associated with the Cricket World Cup. Growth dropped off in 2008 with the end of the boom. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on tourist arrivals from the US, Canada, and Europe and potential damages from natural disasters. Since taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government has adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program, and has been successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from 120% to about 90%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.639 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189 $1.594 billion (2007 est.)
$1.491 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.224 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 6.9% (2007 est.)
12.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $19,100 (2007 est.)
$18,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 22%
services: 74.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
30,000 (1991) country comparison to the world: 197
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 11%
services: 82% (1983)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.43% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 80 10.44% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$296.4 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 101 $294.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$939.9 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 97 $902 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.13 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 107 $1.002 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
110 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Electricity - consumption:
102.3 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Oil - exports:
219 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Oil - imports:
4,690 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 207
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Current account balance:
-$211 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Exports:
$84.3 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Exports - commodities:
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
Imports:
$522.8 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Debt - external:
$359.8 million (June 2006) country comparison to the world: 169
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
note: fixed rate since 1976
Communications ::Antigua and Barbuda
Telephones - main lines in use:
38,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 171
Telephones - mobile cellular:
136,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 177
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-268; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ag
Internet hosts:
7,421 (2009) country comparison to the world: 127
Internet users:
65,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 166
Transportation ::Antigua and Barbuda
Airports:
3 (2009) country comparison to the world: 190
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,165 km country comparison to the world: 181 paved: 384 km
unpaved: 781 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,146 country comparison to the world: 7 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 50, cargo 651, carrier 4, chemical tanker 5, container 392, liquefied gas 12, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 20
foreign-owned: 1,113 (Australia 1, Colombia 2, Cyprus 18, Denmark 19, Estonia 23, France 1, Germany 941, Greece 3, Iceland 12, Italy 1, Latvia 13, Lithuania 5, Netherlands 20, NZ 2, Norway 8, Poland 2, Russia 4, Slovenia 6, Sweden 1, Switzerland 8, Turkey 6, UK 9, US 8) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Saint John's
Military ::Antigua and Barbuda
Military branches:
Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 19,560
females age 16-49: 18,977 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,271
females age 16-49: 19,586 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 744
female: 743 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Antigua and Barbuda
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Arctic Ocean (Oceans)
Introduction ::Arctic Ocean
Background:
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.
Geography ::Arctic Ocean
Location:
body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle
Geographic coordinates:
90 00 N, 0 00 E
Map references:
Arctic
Area:
total: 14.056 million sq km
note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
45,389 km
Climate:
polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Terrain:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)
Natural hazards:
ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack
Geography - note:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months
Economy ::Arctic Ocean
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.
Transportation ::Arctic Ocean
Ports and terminals:
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
Transportation - note:
sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways
Transnational Issues ::Arctic Ocean
Disputes - international:
the littoral states are engaged in various stages of demonstrating the limits of their continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles from their declared baselines in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; record summer melting of sea ice in the Arctic has restimulated interest in maritime shipping lanes and sea floor exploration
page last updated on October 22, 2009
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@Argentina (South America)
Introduction ::Argentina
Background:
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands by force, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents.
Geography ::Argentina
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Geographic coordinates:
34 00 S, 64 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 2,780,400 sq km country comparison to the world: 8 land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 43,710 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 9,861 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,261 km, Chile 5,308 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 580 km
Coastline:
4,989 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza)
Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
Land use:
arable land: 10.03%
permanent crops: 0.36%
other: 89.61% (2005)
Irrigated land:
15,500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
814 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 29.19 cu km/yr (17%/9%/74%)
per capita: 753 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding
Environment - current issues:
environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution
note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere
People ::Argentina
Population:
40,913,584 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 5,369,477/female 5,122,260)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 12,961,725/female 13,029,265)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 1,819,057/female 2,611,800) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30 years
male: 29 years
female: 31 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.053% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Birth rate:
17.94 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Death rate:
7.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.44 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 149 male: 12.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.56 years country comparison to the world: 66 male: 73.32 years
female: 79.97 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.35 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
120,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
7,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Languages:
Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2%
male: 97.2%
female: 97.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 113
Government ::Argentina
Country name:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Buenos Aires
geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 40 W
time difference: UTC-3 (3 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Saturday in March; note - a new policy of daylight saving time was initiated by the government on 30 December 2007
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution:
1 May 1853; amended many times starting in 1860
Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007); Vice President Julio COBOS (since 10 December 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007); Vice President Julio COBOS (since 10 December 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 October 2007 (next election to be held in 2011)
election results: Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER elected president; percent of vote - Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER 45%, Elisa CARRIO 23%, Roberto LAVAGNA 17%, Alberto Rodriguez SAA 8%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FpV 12, UCR 4, CC 4, other 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FpV 5, UCR 10, PJ 10, PRO 6, CC 16, FJ 2, other 31; note - as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Senate - seats by bloc or party - FpV 42, UCR 8, CC 2, other 20; Chamber of Deputies - seats by bloc or party - FpV 119, UCR 24, CC 18, PS 10, PRO 9, other 77
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of the Senate)
note: the Supreme Court has seven judges; the Argentine Congress in 2006 passed a bill to gradually reduce the number of Supreme Court judges to five
Political parties and leaders:
Coalicion Civica (a broad coalition loosely affiliated with Elisa CARRIO); Front for Victory or FpV (a broad coalition, including elements of the UCR and numerous provincial parties) [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including PRO); Justicialist Party or PJ [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Radical Civic Union or UCR [Gerardo MORALES]; Republican Proposal or PRO [Mauricio MACRI] (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Esteban BULLRICH]; Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); White and Blue CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation); Roman Catholic Church
other: business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); students
International organization participation:
AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), FAO, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hector Marcos TIMERMAN
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use embassy street address; APO address: US Embassy Buenos Aires, Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun
Economy ::Argentina
Economy - overview:
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and a bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - the largest in history - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar in early 2002. The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. Real GDP rebounded to grow by an average 9% annually over the subsequent five years, taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, an audacious debt restructuring and reduced debt burden, excellent international financial conditions, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation also increased, however, during the administration of President Nestor KIRCHNER, which responded with price restraints on businesses, as well as export taxes and restraints, and beginning in early 2007, with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as President in late 2007, but was stymied in her efforts to hike export taxes still further by protesting farmers. Her government nationalized private pension funds in late 2008, which bolstered government coffers, but failed to assuage investors' concerns about the direction of economic policy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$575.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $538.6 billion (2007 est.)
$495.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$324.8 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 8.7% (2007 est.)
8.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $13,400 (2007 est.)
$12,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.9%
industry: 32.7%
services: 57.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
16.27 million country comparison to the world: 36 note: urban areas only (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 23%
services: 76% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 8.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
23.4% (January-June 2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 35% (January-March 2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49 (January-March 2007) country comparison to the world: 27
Investment (gross fixed):
23.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Budget:
revenues: $86.65 billion
expenditures: $82.85 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
48.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 118% of GDP (June 2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 8.8% (2007 est.)
note: based on official estimates, which lack credibility; non-official estimates put inflation at 22% in 2008
Central bank discount rate:
NA
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.47% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 28% (28 November 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$33.93 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$45.92 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$72.55 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$52.31 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 $86.68 billion (31 December 2007)
$79.73 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock
Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Electricity - production:
109.5 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Electricity - consumption:
99.21 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Electricity - exports:
2.628 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
10.28 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
792,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Oil - consumption:
610,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Oil - exports:
314,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Oil - imports:
52,290 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Oil - proved reserves:
2.616 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - production:
44.06 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - consumption:
44.47 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - exports:
890 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 37
Natural gas - imports:
1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - proved reserves:
441.7 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Current account balance:
$7.077 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $7.103 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$70.02 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $55.78 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat
Exports - partners:
Brazil 18.9%, China 9.1%, US 7.9%, Chile 6.7%, Netherlands 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$54.56 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $42.53 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics
Imports - partners:
Brazil 31.3%, China 12.4%, US 12.2%, Germany 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$46.37 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $46.12 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$128.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 $124 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$73.98 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $66 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$28.75 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $26.92 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar - 3.1636 (2008 est.), 3.1105 (2007), 3.0543 (2006), 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004)
Communications ::Argentina
Telephones - main lines in use:
9.631 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 23
Telephones - mobile cellular:
46.509 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 21
Telephone system:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is improving; fixed-line telephone density is gradually increasing reaching nearly 25 lines per 100 people in 2008; mobile telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and has reached a level of 115 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; mobile telephone use is rapidly expanding; broadband services are gaining ground
international: country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2, UNISUR, and South America-1 optical submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112; 2 international gateways near Buenos Aires (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260, FM (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.ar
Internet hosts:
4.906 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 16
Internet users:
11.212 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 28
Transportation ::Argentina
Airports:
1,130 (2009) country comparison to the world: 6
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 156
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 51
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 974
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 522
under 914 m: 406 (2009)
Heliports:
2 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 28,138 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 5,939 km; refined products 3,629 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 31,409 km country comparison to the world: 8 broad gauge: 27,301 km 1.676-m gauge (94 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,780 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,328 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 231,374 km country comparison to the world: 22 paved: 69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 161,962 km (2004)
Waterways:
11,000 km (2007) country comparison to the world: 11
Merchant marine:
total: 46 country comparison to the world: 72 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 9, chemical tanker 2, container 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 14 (Brazil 1, Chile 7, Spain 2, UK 4)
registered in other countries: 19 (Liberia 3, Panama 8, Paraguay 5, Uruguay 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Arroyo Seco, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin
Military ::Argentina
Military branches:
Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental permission); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,029,488
females age 16-49: 9,889,002 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,264,853
females age 16-49: 8,268,498 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 341,590
female: 326,342 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Military - note:
the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2008)
Transnational Issues ::Argentina
Disputes - international:
Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims; unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; in 2006, Argentina went to the ICJ to protest, on environmental grounds, the construction of two pulp mills in Uruguay on the Uruguay River, which forms the boundary; both parties presented their pleadings in 2007 with Argentina's reply in January and Uruguay's rejoinder in July 2008; the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Argentina is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; most victims are trafficked within the country, from rural to urban areas; child sex tourism is a problem; foreign women and children, primarily from Paraguay, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic, are trafficked to Argentina for commercial sexual exploitation; Argentine women and girls are also trafficked to neighboring countries, Mexico, and Western Europe for sexual exploitation; a significant number of Bolivians, Peruvians, and Paraguayans are trafficked into the country for forced labor in sweatshops, agriculture, and as domestic servants
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - despite some progress, Argentina remains on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of providing adequate assistance to victims and curbing official complicity with trafficking activity, especially on the provincial and local levels; the Argentine Congress has demonstrated progress by enacting much-needed and first-ever federal anti-trafficking legislation (2009)
Illicit drugs:
a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Armenia (Middle East)
Introduction ::Armenia
Background:
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with Armenia because of the Armenian separatists' control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Geography ::Armenia
Location:
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 29,743 sq km country comparison to the world: 142 land: 28,203 sq km
water: 1,540 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Terrain:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
Land use:
arable land: 16.78%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.21% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,860 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
10.5 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.95 cu km/yr (30%/4%/66%)
per capita: 977 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
People ::Armenia
Population:
2,967,004 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.2% (male 289,119/female 252,150)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 986,764/female 1,123,708)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 122,996/female 192,267) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.5 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 34.4 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.03% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Birth rate:
12.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Death rate:
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Net migration rate:
-4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Urbanization:
urban population: 64% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.21 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 106 male: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.68 years country comparison to the world: 116 male: 69.06 years
female: 76.81 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.36 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups:
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)
Religions:
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
Languages:
Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.2% of GDP (2001) country comparison to the world: 139
Government ::Armenia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Yerevan
geographic coordinates: 40 10 N, 44 30 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan
Independence:
21 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1991)
Constitution:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Serzh SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Tigran SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February 2008 (next to be held February 2013); prime minister appointed by the president based on majority or plurality support in parliament; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program
election results: Serzh SARGSIAN elected president; percent of vote - Serzh SARGSIAN 52.9%, Levon TER-PETROSSIAN 21.5%, Artur BAGHDASARIAN 16.7%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 33.9%, Prosperous Armenia 15.1%, ARF (Dashnak) 13.2%, Rule of Law 7.1%, Heritage Party 6%, other 24.7%; seats by party - HHK 64, Prosperous Armenia 18, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, independent 17
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Armenian National Congress or ANC [Levon TER-PETROSSIAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Ararat ZURABIAN]; Armenian People's Party [Tigran KARAPETIAN]; Armenian Ramkavar Azadagan Party Alliance or HRAK (includes former Dashink Party, National Revival Party, and Ramkavar Liberal Party); Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARIAN]; Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISIAN]; National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMIAN]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN]; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSAROUKIAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISIAN]; Republican Party of Armenia or HHK [Serzh SARGSIAN]; Rule of Law Party (Orinats Yerkir) [Artur BAGHDASARIAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURIAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Aylentrank (Impeachment) [Nikol PASHINIAN]; Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: [374](10) 464-700
FAX: [374](10) 464-742
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty, blue the Armenian skies as well as hope, and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it
Economy ::Armenia
Economy - overview:
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has made progress in implementing many economic reforms including privatization, price reforms, and prudent fiscal policies. The conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates. Economic growth has averaged over 10% in recent years. However, with the global economic downturn, Armenia's growth rate dropped to 6.8% in 2008. Armenia has managed to reduce poverty, slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics, in exchange for raw materials and energy. Armenia has since switched to small-scale agriculture and away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. Nuclear power plants built at Metsamor in the 1970s were closed following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, though they sustained no damage. One of the two reactors was re-opened in 1995, but the Armenian government is under international pressure to close it due to concerns that the Soviet era design lacks important safeguards. Metsamor provides 40 percent of the country's electricity - hydropower accounts for about one-fourth. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Construction of a pipeline to deliver natural gas from Iran to Armenia was completed in December 2008 and after testing is expected to be operational in Spring 2009, though it is unlikely significant quantities of gas will flow through it until the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant renovation is completed in 2010. Armenia has some mineral deposits (copper, gold, bauxite). Pig iron, unwrought copper, and other nonferrous metals are Armenia's highest valued exports. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in recent years, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Despite strong economic growth, Armenia's unemployment rate remains high. Armenia will need to pursue additional economic reforms in order to improve its economic competitiveness and to build on recent improvements in poverty and unemployment, especially given its economic isolation from two of its nearest neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan. The disruption of rail transit into Armenia during the Georgia-Russia conflict in August 2008 highlighted how vulnerable Armenia's supply chains for key goods - such as gasoline - are to instances of regional instability.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.81 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $17.62 billion (2007 est.)
$15.48 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.92 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 13.8% (2007 est.)
13.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 $5,900 (2007 est.)
$5,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.7%
industry: 33.8%
services: 49.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.481 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 46.2%
industry: 15.6%
services: 38.2% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Population below poverty line:
26.5% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 41.3% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (2006) country comparison to the world: 77 44.4 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
39% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Budget:
revenues: $2.481 billion
expenditures: $2.626 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 4.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
7.25% (2 December 2008)
NA% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key monetary policy instrument of the Armenian National Bank
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.05% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 27 17.52% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.359 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 80 $1.507 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$950.1 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 96 $765.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.98 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 93 $1.256 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 110 $105 million (31 December 2007)
$60.17 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock
Industries:
diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy
Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Electricity - production:
5.584 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Electricity - consumption:
4.776 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Electricity - exports:
451.3 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
418.7 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - consumption:
48,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Oil - imports:
45,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Natural gas - consumption:
1.93 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - imports:
1.93 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Current account balance:
-$1.355 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 -$589.6 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.124 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $1.197 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
pig iron, unwrought copper, nonferrous metals, diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy
Exports - partners:
Russia 20.2%, Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 12.2%, Belgium 8.5%, Georgia 7.7%, Bulgaria 5.7%, US 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$3.763 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $2.797 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds
Imports - partners:
Russia 19.3%, China 8.7%, Ukraine 7%, Turkey 6.1%, Germany 5.8%, US 4.9%, Iran 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.407 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 $1.659 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.449 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 116 $2.909 billion (31 December 2007)
Exchange rates:
drams (AMD) per US dollar - 303.93 (2008 est.), 344.06 (2007), 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004)
Communications ::Armenia
Telephones - main lines in use:
650,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.336 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 118
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications investments have made major inroads in modernizing and upgrading the outdated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 100% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion; mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a second provider began operations in mid-2005
domestic: reliable modern landline and mobile-cellular services are available across Yerevan in major cities and towns; significant but ever-shrinking gaps remain in mobile-cellular coverage in rural areas
international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, through the Moscow international switch, and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006)
Internet country code:
.am
Internet hosts:
36,354 (2009) country comparison to the world: 88
Internet users:
191,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 138
Transportation ::Armenia
Airports:
11 (2009) country comparison to the world: 153
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,233 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 845 km country comparison to the world: 99 broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2008)
Roadways:
total: 7,700 km country comparison to the world: 144 paved: 7,700 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2006)
Military ::Armenia
Military branches:
Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Force and Air Defense, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 809,576
females age 16-49: 870,864 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 642,734
females age 16-49: 729,047 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,293
female: 25,574 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.5% of GDP (FY01) country comparison to the world: 8
Transnational Issues ::Armenia
Disputes - international:
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; Armenians continue to emigrate, primarily to Russia, seeking employment
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 113,295 (Azerbaijan)
IDPs: 8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, majority have returned home since 1994 ceasefire) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Armenia is primarily a source country for women and girls trafficked to the UAE and Turkey for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; Armenian men and women are trafficked to Turkey and Russia for the purpose of forced labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fourth consecutive year; its efforts to increase compliance with the minimum standards were assessed based on its commitments to undertake future actions, particularly in the areas of improving victim protection and assistance; while the government elevated anti-trafficking responsibilities to the ministerial level, adopted a new National Action Plan, and drafted a National Referral Mechanism, it has yet to show tangible progress in identifying and protecting victims or in tackling trafficking complicity of government officials; the Armenian Government made some notable improvements in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, but it failed to demonstrate evidence of investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences of officials complicit in trafficking (2008)
Illicit drugs:
illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Aruba (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Aruba
Background:
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Geography ::Aruba
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 180 sq km country comparison to the world: 217 land: 180 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
68.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources:
NEGL; white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
People ::Aruba
Population:
103,065 country comparison to the world: 193 note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-99 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.1% (male 9,921/female 9,758)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 34,676/female 37,752)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 4,351/female 6,607) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.8 years
male: 36 years
female: 39.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.478% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Birth rate:
12.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Death rate:
7.71 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Net migration rate:
9.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 132 male: 18.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.28 years country comparison to the world: 82 male: 72.25 years
female: 78.38 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Ethnic groups:
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80.8%, Evangelist 4.1%, Protestant 2.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%, Methodist 1.2%, Jewish 0.2%, other 5.1%, none or unspecified 4.6%
Languages:
Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.1% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 79
Government ::Aruba
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Dependency status:
member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
Constitution:
1 January 1986
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 30 October 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held in 2005 (next to be held by 2009)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AVP 48%, MEP 35.9%, PDR 5.7%; seats by party - AVP 12, MEP 8, PDR 1
Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: environmental groups
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
Flag description:
blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth
Economy ::Aruba
Economy - overview:
Tourism is the mainstay of the small open Aruban economy with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993 providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season. Hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80% compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.258 billion (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 $2.205 billion (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,800 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3%
services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
41,500 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate:
6.9% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.)
Public debt:
46.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 42
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2005) country comparison to the world: 41
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 91 5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.23% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 74 11.01% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$780.4 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 90 $640.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$890.3 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 98 $792.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.321 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 102 $1.348 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
aloes; livestock; fish
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
850 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Electricity - consumption:
790.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2,351 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - consumption:
8,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Oil - exports:
231,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Oil - imports:
236,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Exports:
$124 million (2006); note - includes oil reexports country comparison to the world: 189
Exports - commodities:
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Panama 22.3%, Colombia 19.5%, Venezuela 17.1%, US 13.8%, Netherlands Antilles 10.8%, Netherlands 7.3% (2008)
Imports:
$1.054 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 170
Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 53.3%, Netherlands 11.8%, UK 4.6% (2008)
Debt - external:
$478.6 million (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Exchange rates:
Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)
Communications ::Aruba
Telephones - main lines in use:
38,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 170
Telephones - mobile cellular:
127,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 179
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
.aw
Internet hosts:
25,051 (2009) country comparison to the world: 95
Internet users:
24,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 184
Transportation ::Aruba
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 211
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Military ::Aruba
Military branches:
no regular military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,585
females age 16-49: 25,742 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,287
females age 16-49: 21,232 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 722
female: 711 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues ::Aruba
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
page last updated on November 10, 2009
======================================================================
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Background:
These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.
Geography ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island
Geographic coordinates:
12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 5 sq km country comparison to the world: 245 land: 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
74.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:
illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems
Geography - note:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000
People ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only
Government ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department
Legal system:
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Economy - overview:
no economic activity
Transportation ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Transnational Issues ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Disputes - international:
as the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal immigrants; in 2001, the Australian government removed these islands from the Australian Migration Zone making illegal arrivals ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia
page last updated on July 2, 2009
======================================================================
@Atlantic Ocean (Oceans)
Introduction ::Atlantic Ocean
Background:
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Geography ::Atlantic Ocean
Location:
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates:
0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 76.762 million sq km
note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
111,866 km
Climate:
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November
Terrain:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin