THE WORLD FACTBOOK :: WHAT'S NEW (continued 5)
Reading edition
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones
Natural hazards:
icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December)
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea
Geography - note:
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Economy ::Atlantic Ocean
Economy - overview:
The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).
Transportation ::Atlantic Ocean
Ports and terminals:
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation - note:
Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways; significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US; the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore Atlantic waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, the east coast of Brazil, and the Caribbean Sea; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Transnational Issues ::Atlantic Ocean
Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
page last updated on October 22, 2009
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@Australia (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Australia
Background:
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequent droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
Geography ::Australia
Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
27 00 S, 133 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 7,741,220 sq km country comparison to the world: 6 land: 7,682,300 sq km
water: 58,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 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:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
note: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports
Land use:
arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 93.81% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,450 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
398 cu km (1995)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.06 cu km/yr (15%/10%/75%)
per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources
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, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent winds in the world
People ::Australia
Population:
21,262,641 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.6% (male 2,026,975/female 1,923,828)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 7,318,743/female 7,121,613)
65 years and over: 13.5% (male 1,306,329/female 1,565,153) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.3 years
male: 36.6 years
female: 38.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.195% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Birth rate:
12.47 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Death rate:
6.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Net migration rate:
6.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 196 male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.63 years country comparison to the world: 7 male: 79.25 years
female: 84.14 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
18,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian
Ethnic groups:
white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
Catholic 25.8%, Anglican 18.7%, Uniting Church 5.7%, Presbyterian and Reformed 3%, Eastern Orthodox 2.7%, other Christian 7.9%, Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none 18.7% (2006 Census)
Languages:
English 78.5%, Chinese 2.5%, Italian 1.6%, Greek 1.3%, Arabic 1.2%, Vietnamese 1%, other 8.2%, unspecified 5.7% (2006 Census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 20 years
male: 20 years
female: 21 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 86
Government ::Australia
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Canberra
geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 13 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March
note: Australia is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions:
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Dependent areas:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
Constitution:
9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5 September 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Kevin RUDD (since 3 December 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Julia GILLARD (since 3 December 2007)
cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be called no later than 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party 10, independents 2
Judicial branch:
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Political parties and leaders:
Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Terry MILLS]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [Malcolm TURNBULL]; The Nationals [Warren TRUSS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: business groups; environmental groups; social groups; trade unions
International organization participation:
ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.
embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address: APO AP 96549
telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970
consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars
Economy ::Australia
Economy - overview:
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key factors over the course of the economy's 17 solid years of expansion. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products fueled the economy in recent years, particularly in mining states. Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency pushed the trade deficit up however, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a tight labor market constrained growth in export volumes and stoked inflation through mid-2008. The unwinding of the yen-based carry trade in late 2008 has contributed to a weakening of the Australian dollar. Tight global liquidity has challenged Australia's banking sector, which relies heavily on international wholesale markets for funding. The economy remains relatively healthy despite falling export commodity prices. The government plans to counter slowing growth in 2009 with fiscal stimulus efforts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$802.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $784.1 billion (2007 est.)
$753.9 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.013 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 4% (2007 est.)
2.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$38,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $37,800 (2007 est.)
$36,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 26.8%
services: 69.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
11.25 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.1%
services: 75% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 4.4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.5 (2006) country comparison to the world: 111 35.2 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Budget:
revenues: $350.3 billion
expenditures: $332.4 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
14.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 17.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
note: the Commonwealth government eliminated its net debt in 2006, but continues a gross debt issue to support the market for risk-free securities
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 2.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.91% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 84 10.02% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$298.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$667.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.312 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 $1.298 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.096 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Electricity - production:
239.9 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Electricity - consumption:
222 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
586,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - consumption:
953,700 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - exports:
332,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - imports:
687,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - proved reserves:
1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - production:
45.22 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - consumption:
34.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - exports:
19.48 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 12
Natural gas - imports:
5.377 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Current account balance:
-$44.04 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 -$57.68 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$189.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $142.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Japan 22.2%, China 14.6%, South Korea 8.2%, India 6.1%, US 5.5%, NZ 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$194.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $160.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Imports - partners:
China 15.4%, US 12%, Japan 9.1%, Singapore 7%, Germany 5%, Thailand 4.5%, UK 4.3%, Malaysia 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$32.92 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $26.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$799.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 14 $820.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$366.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $337.5 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$197.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $290.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
Communications ::Australia
Telephones - main lines in use:
9.37 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 24
Telephones - mobile cellular:
22.12 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 36
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
104 (1997)
Internet country code:
.au
Internet hosts:
11.756 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 10
Internet users:
15.17 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 24
Transportation ::Australia
Airports:
464 (2009) country comparison to the world: 17
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 325
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 145
914 to 1,523 m: 142
under 914 m: 14 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 139
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 110
under 914 m: 12 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 27,105 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,258 km; oil/gas/water 1 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 37,855 km country comparison to the world: 7 broad gauge: 142 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 24,409 km 1.435-m gauge (1,094 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 13,304 km 1.067-m gauge (1,193 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 812,972 km country comparison to the world: 9 paved: 341,448 km
unpaved: 471,524 km (2004)
Waterways:
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006) country comparison to the world: 45
Merchant marine:
total: 50 country comparison to the world: 71 by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 24 (Canada 9, France 1, Germany 2, Japan 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Singapore 1, UK 5, US 2)
registered in other countries: 28 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Belize 1, Bermuda 1, Dominica 2, Fiji 1, Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1, Panama 4, Singapore 12, Tonga 1, US 1, Vanuatu 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney
Military ::Australia
Military branches:
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,999,988
females age 16-49: 4,870,043 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,341,591
females age 16-49: 4,179,659 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 144,959
female: 137,333 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 69
Transnational Issues ::Australia
Disputes - international:
Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Timor-Leste hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea; regional states continue to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent more than its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australia has led the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
Illicit drugs:
Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Austria (Europe)
Introduction ::Austria
Background:
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. In January 2009, Austria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography ::Austria
Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 83,871 sq km country comparison to the world: 113 land: 82,445 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,562 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
Natural resources:
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
84 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)
per capita: 448 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards:
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
People ::Austria
Population:
8,210,281 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.5% (male 609,748/female 581,144)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,785,091/female 2,756,402)
65 years and over: 18% (male 612,613/female 865,283) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.2 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 43.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.052% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Birth rate:
8.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 217
Death rate:
9.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Net migration rate:
1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.7% 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 202 male: 5.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.5 years country comparison to the world: 27 male: 76.6 years
female: 82.56 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.39 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups:
Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
Languages:
German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 52
Government ::Austria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Vienna
geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Independence:
976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place
Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2 December 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010); chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6%
note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members in proportion to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Josef PROELL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]; The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action
other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christian PROSL
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott F. KILNER
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0
FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner
Economy ::Austria
Economy - overview:
Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the global economic downturn in 2008 led to a recession that is likely to persist through 2009. The government's stabilization measures could increase the budget deficit to about 2.8% of GDP in 2009 and above 3% in 2010, from about 0.6% in 2008. The Austrian economy has benefited greatly in the past from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe, but these sectors have been vulnerable to recent international financial instabilities, and some of Austria's largest banks have required government support. Even after the global economic outlook improves, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor participation to offset its aging population and exceedingly low fertility rate.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$331.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $324.7 billion (2007 est.)
$313.7 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$414.8 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 3.5% (2007 est.)
3.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$40,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $39,600 (2007 est.)
$38,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 30.7%
services: 67.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
3.633 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 27.5%
services: 67% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 4.4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
5.9% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 22.5% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26 (2007) country comparison to the world: 125 31 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Budget:
revenues: $196.4 billion
expenditures: $200.7 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
62.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 64.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 2.2% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.82% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 128 6.3% (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$606.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $504.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 $228.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$191.3 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
Industries:
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - production:
58.64 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Electricity - consumption:
61.89 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Electricity - exports:
14.93 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
19.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
24,850 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Oil - consumption:
285,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Oil - exports:
45,580 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Oil - imports:
305,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Oil - proved reserves:
50 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Natural gas - production:
1.532 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - consumption:
8.65 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - exports:
2.788 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - imports:
10.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Natural gas - proved reserves:
16.14 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Current account balance:
$14.27 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $12.03 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$179.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 $162.1 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 29.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 4.3%, Switzerland 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$179.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $160.3 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Germany 44.5%, Italy 7.1%, Switzerland 5.2%, Netherlands 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$16.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $18.22 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$832.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 $801.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$261.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $247.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$270 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $240.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Austria
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.285 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 47
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.816 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 58
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available
international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
10 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
.at
Internet hosts:
2.992 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 26
Internet users:
5.937 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 39
Transportation ::Austria
Airports:
55 (2009) country comparison to the world: 84
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 14 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 26 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,721 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 6,399 km country comparison to the world: 29 standard gauge: 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,688 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 107,262 km country comparison to the world: 39 paved: 107,262 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
358 km (2007) country comparison to the world: 90
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 134 by type: cargo 2, container 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
registered in other countries: 4 (Cyprus 1, Malta 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
Military ::Austria
Military branches:
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
Military service age and obligation:
18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 6 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,986,411
females age 16-49: 1,944,834 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,607,456
females age 16-49: 1,576,335 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 50,540
female: 48,042 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Transnational Issues ::Austria
Disputes - international:
while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the newly elected Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closed its nuclear power plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Azerbaijan (Middle East)
Introduction ::Azerbaijan
Background:
Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.
Geography ::Azerbaijan
Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
Geographic coordinates:
40 30 N, 47 30 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 86,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 112 land: 82,629 sq km
water: 3,971 sq km
note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,013 km
border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
dry, semiarid steppe
Terrain:
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Land use:
arable land: 20.62%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 76.77% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,550 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
30.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%)
per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
droughts
Environment - current issues:
local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
People ::Azerbaijan
Population:
8,238,672 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.9% (male 1,042,132/female 926,495)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 2,807,717/female 2,908,221)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 204,410/female 349,697) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 26.6 years
female: 30 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.762% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Birth rate:
17.62 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Death rate:
8.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Net migration rate:
-1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Urbanization:
urban population: 52% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.6 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 46 male: 60.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.66 years country comparison to the world: 158 male: 62.53 years
female: 71.34 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.04 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Nationality:
noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani
Ethnic groups:
Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
Religions:
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
Languages:
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.5%
female: 98.2% (1999 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.1% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 165
Government ::Azerbaijan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: Azarbaycan
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Baku (Baki, Baky)
geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 52 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:
59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika)
rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu
cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari
autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi (Nakhichevan)
Independence:
30 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)
Constitution:
adopted 12 November 1995; modified by referendum 24 August 2002
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 Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2008 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 89%, Igbal AGHAZADE 2.9%, five other candidates with smaller percentages
note: several political parties boycotted the election due to unfair conditions; OSCE observers concluded that the election did not meet international standards
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Azadliq (Freedom) coalition (Popular Front Party, Liberal Party, Citizens' Development Party); Azerbaijan Democratic Party or ADP [Sardar JALALOGLU]; Azerbaijan Democratic Reforms Party (ADRP) Youth Movement [Ramin HAJILI]; Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF, now split in two [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform" APF party; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic" APF party]; Azerbaijan Public Forum [Eldar NAMAZOV]; Citizens' Development Party [Ali ALIYEV]; Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Dalga Youth Movement [Vafa JAFAROVA]; Green Party [Mais GULALIYEV and Tarana MAMMADOVA]; Hope (Umid) Party [Iqbal AGAZADE]; Ireli Youth Movement [Jeyhun OSMANLI, Roya TALIBOVA, Farhad MAMMADOV, Elnara GARIBOVA, Elnur MAMMADOV, Ziya ALIYEV]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Magam Youth Movement [Emin HUSEYNOV]; Motherland Party [Fazail AGAMALI]; Musavat (Equality) [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Musavat Party Youth Movement [Elnur MAMMADLI]; National Democratic Party or Grey Wolves (Nationalist, Pan-Turkic) [Iskender HAMIDOV]; Open Society Party [Rasul GULIYEV, in exile in the US]; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Ayaz RUSTAMOV]; Popular Front Party Youth Movement [Seymur KHAZIYEV]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV (in exile)]; Turkish Nationalist Party [Vugar BAYTURAN]; United Azerbaijan Party [Karrar ABILOV]; United Azerbaijan National Unity Party [Hajibaba AZIMOV]; United Party [Tahir KARIMLI]; Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party [President Ilham ALIYEV]; Yeni Azerbaijan Party Youth Movement [Ramil HASANOV]; Yox (No) Youth Movement [Ali ISMAYILOV]
note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties;
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (self-proclaimed); Karabakh Liberation Organization; Sadval, Lezgin movement; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces or UPAF
International organization participation:
ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV
chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500
FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911
Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE
embassy: 83 Azadlig Prospecti, Baku AZ1007
mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050
telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337
FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band
Economy ::Azerbaijan
Economy - overview:
Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 is attributable to large and growing oil exports, but the non-energy sector also featured double-digit growth in 2008, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors. However, the current global economic slowdown presents some challenges for the Azerbaijani economy as oil prices have plummeted since mid-2008 and local banks face a more uncertain international financial environment. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies built a $4 billion pipeline from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan which will pump 1.2 million barrels a day from a large offshore field when at full capacity. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its medium-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, pervasive corruption, and potential for a sharp downturn in the construction and real estate sectors. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and gas pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote sustainable growth in non-energy sectors of the economy and spur employment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$77.79 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $70.21 billion (2007 est.)
$56.17 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$46.38 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
10.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 25% (2007 est.)
34.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $8,600 (2007 est.)
$7,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 60.5%
services: 33.5% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
5.782 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 39.3%
industry: 12.1%
services: 48.6% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 1% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
24% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 6.1%
highest 10%: 17.5% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.5 (2001) country comparison to the world: 81 36 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Budget:
revenues: $12.69 billion
expenditures: $15.67 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
4.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 18.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
20.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206 16.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
8% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 13% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key policy rate for the National Bank of Azerbaijan
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.76% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 19.13% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$6.381 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 $4.261 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.125 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 $2.593 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.135 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 $5.726 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats
Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - production:
19.35 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Electricity - consumption:
15.68 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - exports:
786 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
548 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
875,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Oil - consumption:
126,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - exports:
528,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Oil - imports:
2,848 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Oil - proved reserves:
7 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - production:
16.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Natural gas - consumption:
10.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - exports:
5.564 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Current account balance:
$16.45 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $9.019 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$30.59 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $21.27 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Italy 40.2%, US 12.6%, Israel 7.6%, India 5.1%, France 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$7.575 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 $6.045 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Russia 18.8%, Turkey 11.3%, Germany 8.4%, Ukraine 7.9%, China 6.7%, UK 5.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.519 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $4.273 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.635 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 $2.439 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$7.844 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $7.829 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$5.232 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $4.677 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar - 0.8219 (2008 est.), 0.8581 (2007), 0.8934 (2006), 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004)
note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat
Communications ::Azerbaijan
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.311 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 68
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.548 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 76
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 15 main lines per 100 persons is low; mobile-cellular penetration has increased rapidly and is currently about 80 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other telecom services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the mobile-cellular market with three providers in 2006; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan
international: country code - 994; the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic link transits Azerbaijan providing international connectivity to neighboring countries; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)
Internet country code:
.az
Internet hosts:
7,045 (2009) country comparison to the world: 130
Internet users:
1.485 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 75
Transportation ::Azerbaijan
Airports:
34 (2009) country comparison to the world: 111
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 27
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 1 km; gas 3,361 km; oil 1,424 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,122 km country comparison to the world: 71 broad gauge: 2,122 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 59,141 km country comparison to the world: 74 paved: 29,210 km
unpaved: 29,931 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 89 country comparison to the world: 52 by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 46, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 3
registered in other countries: 3 (Malta 2, Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Baku (Baki)
Military ::Azerbaijan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,278,888
females age 16-49: 2,291,770 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,727,464
females age 16-49: 1,944,260 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 90,416
female: 85,344 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Transnational Issues ::Azerbaijan
Disputes - international:
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; 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; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 2,400 (Russia)
IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate, prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking victims in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)
Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bahamas, The (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Bahamas, The
Background:
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
Geography ::Bahamas, The
Location:
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
24 15 N, 76 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 13,880 sq km country comparison to the world: 160 land: 10,010 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
3,542 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources:
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
NA
Natural hazards:
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment - current issues:
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
People ::Bahamas, The
Population:
309,156 country comparison to the world: 176 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 40,085/female 39,959)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 102,154/female 105,482)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8,772/female 12,704) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.7 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 29.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.536% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Birth rate:
16.81 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Death rate:
9.32 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Net migration rate:
-2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Urbanization:
urban population: 84% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.17 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 93 male: 28.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.78 years country comparison to the world: 164 male: 62.63 years
female: 68.98 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups:
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions:
Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2000) country comparison to the world: 125
Government ::Bahamas, The
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador, and Rum Cay
Independence:
10 July 1973 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
10 July 1973
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 Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; 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; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
Judicial branch:
Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; Magistrates' Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Friends of the Environment
other: trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 328-2206
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea
Economy ::Bahamas, The
Economy - overview:
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006 and will likely drop even further in 2009. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. To help offset the effect of the global economic downturn, particularly on employment, the INGRAHAM administration plans to engage in infrastructure projects. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.352 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $9.495 billion (2007 est.)
$9.236 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.564 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 210 2.8% (2007 est.)
4.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,700 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $31,400 (2007 est.)
$30,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
175,500 (2007) country comparison to the world: 168
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Population below poverty line:
9.3% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27% (2000)
Budget:
revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Central bank discount rate:
5.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81 5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 138 5.5% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.255 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 $1.274 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.637 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 71 $4.324 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.883 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 $7.395 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables; poultry
Industries:
tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
2.045 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - consumption:
1.902 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Oil - consumption:
34,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Oil - exports:
transshipments of 41,570 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Oil - imports:
72,420 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Current account balance:
-$1.442 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Exports:
$674 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 159
Exports - commodities:
mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables
Exports - partners:
US 21.6%, Singapore 19%, Poland 18.2%, Germany 7.7%, Japan 7.5% (2008)
Imports:
$2.401 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 145
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
Imports - partners:
US 25.1%, South Korea 18.8%, Japan 16.4%, Singapore 7.3%, Venezuela 5% (2008)
Debt - external:
$342.6 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Exchange rates:
Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2008 est.), 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004)
Communications ::Bahamas, The
Telephones - main lines in use:
133,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 138
Telephones - mobile cellular:
358,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 164
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2006)
Internet country code:
.bs
Internet hosts:
8,325 (2009) country comparison to the world: 122
Internet users:
106,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 151
Transportation ::Bahamas, The
Airports:
62 (2009) country comparison to the world: 79
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 22 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,717 km country comparison to the world: 168 paved: 1,560 km
unpaved: 1,157 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,223 country comparison to the world: 6 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 210, cargo 226, carrier 2, chemical tanker 88, combination ore/oil 12, container 65, liquefied gas 77, passenger 109, passenger/cargo 35, petroleum tanker 209, refrigerated cargo 119, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 51
foreign-owned: 1,150 (Angola 6, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 2, Canada 84, China 10, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 25, Denmark 67, Finland 9, France 30, Germany 44, Greece 209, Hong Kong 30, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 4, Japan 87, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 15, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 9, Nigeria 2, Norway 189, Poland 17, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 17, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 14, Sweden 4, Switzerland 1, Thailand 5, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 8, UAE 23, UK 56, US 106, Venezuela 1)
registered in other countries: 12 (Bolivia 1, Panama 9, Peru 1, Portugal 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
Military ::Bahamas, The
Military branches:
Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 80,200 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 50,764
females age 16-49: 51,690 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,992
female: 3,003 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 160
Transnational Issues ::Bahamas, The
Disputes - international:
disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bahrain (Middle East)
Introduction ::Bahrain
Background:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
Geography ::Bahrain
Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 741 sq km country comparison to the world: 190 land: 741 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land use:
arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms
Environment - current issues:
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
People ::Bahrain
Population:
727,785 country comparison to the world: 162 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 95,224/female 93,241)
15-64 years: 70.2% (male 292,941/female 217,729)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 15,106/female 13,544) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 26.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.285% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Birth rate:
17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Death rate:
4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:
0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 125 male: 17.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.16 years country comparison to the world: 83 male: 72.64 years
female: 77.76 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.6%
female: 83.6% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 107
Government ::Bahrain
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
Independence:
15 August 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection
Constitution:
adopted 14 February 2002
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by society as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
Judicial branch:
High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators
other: several small leftist and other groups are active
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Houda Ibrahim Ezra NUNU
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Adam ERELI
embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: [973] 1724-2700
FAX: [973] 1727-0547
Flag description:
red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
Economy ::Bahrain
Economy - overview:
With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. Aluminum is Bahrain's second major export after oil. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is focused on Islamic banking and is competing on an international scale with Malaysia as a worldwide banking center. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006 Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Continued strong growth hinges on Bahrain's ability to acquire new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term economic problems. The global financial crisis is likely to result in slower economic growth for Bahrain during 2009 as tight international credit and a slowing global economy cause funding for many non-oil projects to dry up. Lower oil prices may also cause Bahrain's budget to slip back into deficit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.89 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $25.29 billion (2007 est.)
$23.34 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$21.24 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 8.4% (2007 est.)
6.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $35,700 (2007 est.)
$33,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 66.2%
services: 33.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
557,000 country comparison to the world: 152 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 79%
services: 20% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
26.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Budget:
revenues: $6.934 billion
expenditures: $5.612 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
28.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 3.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 101 8.35% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$21.18 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $28.13 billion (31 December 2007)
$21.12 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Electricity - production:
10.25 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity - consumption:
10.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
48,520 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Oil - consumption:
38,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - exports:
238,300 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Oil - imports:
228,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Oil - proved reserves:
124.6 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - production:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - consumption:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - proved reserves:
92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Current account balance:
$2.257 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $2.907 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$17.49 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $13.79 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 3.4%, India 2.7%, UAE 2.2% (2008)
Imports:
$14.25 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $10.93 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 26.7%, Japan 8.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Germany 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, UK 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.803 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.01 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $13.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$9.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $7.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2008 est.), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004)
Communications ::Bahrain
Telephones - main lines in use:
220,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 123
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.4 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 135
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth station - 1 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bh
Internet hosts:
51,489 (2009) country comparison to the world: 82
Internet users:
402,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Transportation ::Bahrain
Airports:
3 (2009) country comparison to the world: 191
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 32 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,498 km country comparison to the world: 161 paved: 2,768 km
unpaved: 730 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 9 country comparison to the world: 114 by type: bulk carrier 4, container 4, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 6 (Kuwait 5, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Military ::Bahrain
Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 210,938
females age 16-49: 170,471 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 171,004
females age 16-49: 144,555 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,612
female: 6,499 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 22