Y (continued 25)
Reading edition
election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 on April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2
Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee)
Political parties and leaders:
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SENG Soukhathivong
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART
embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane
mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546
telephone: [856] 21-26-7000
FAX: [856] 21-26-7190
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band; the red bands recall the blood shed for liberation; the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River, but also signifies the unity of the people under the Pathet Lao, as well as the country's bright future
National anthem:
name: "Pheng Xat Lao" (Hymn of the Lao People)
lyrics/music: SISANA Sisane/THONGDY Sounthonevichit
note: music adopted 1945, lyrics adopted 1975; the anthem's lyrics were changed following the 1975 Communist revolution that overthrew the monarchy
Economy ::Laos
Economy - overview:
The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party Communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% per year from 1988-2008 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis that began in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with an underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. It has a rudimentary, but improving, road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. Electricity is available in urban areas and in many rural districts. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice cultivation in lowland areas, accounts for about 30% of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The government in FY08/09 received $560 million from international donors. Economic growth has reduced official poverty rates from 46% in 1992 to 26% in 2009. The economy has benefited from high foreign investment in hydropower, mining, and construction. Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US in 2004, and is taking steps required to join the World Trade Organization, such as reforming import licensing. Related trade policy reforms will improve the business environment. On the fiscal side, Laos launched an effort to ensure the collection of taxes in 2009 as the global economic slowdown reduced revenues from mining projects. Simplified investment procedures and expanded bank credits for small farmers and small entrepreneurs will improve Lao's economic prospects. The government appears committed to raising the country's profile among investors. The World Bank has declared that Laos's goal of graduating from the UN Development Program's list of least-developed countries by 2020 is achievable. According Laotian officials, the 7th Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2011-15 will outline efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$15.42 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 $14.41 billion (2009 est.)
$13.53 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.341 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 6.5% (2009 est.)
7.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 $2,300 (2009 est.)
$2,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.8%
industry: 31.7%
services: 38.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
3.65 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.5% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 2.4% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
26% (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.6 (2002) country comparison to the world: 88 37 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 0% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.3% (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 108 4% (31 December 2009)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
26% (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 83 11% (30 November 2009)
Stock of narrow money:
$630 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 150 $691.1 million (31 December 2009)
Stock of broad money:
$1.818 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 $1.549 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.562 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134 $1.095 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Agriculture - products:
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Industries:
copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, cement, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
12% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Electricity - production:
1.656 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - consumption:
1.798 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - exports:
230 million kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
819.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Oil - imports:
3,080 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Current account balance:
-$23 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 -$356 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$1.215 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $1.104 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
Exports - partners:
Thailand 29.18%, China 15.04%, Vietnam 14.96%, UK 4.29% (2009)
Imports:
$1.504 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 $1.308 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Thailand 66.2%, China 11.45%, Vietnam 5.3% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$756 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $712.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.085 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $3.179 billion (2006 est.)
Exchange rates:
kips (LAK) per US dollar - 8,320.27 (2010), 8,516.04 (2009), 8,760.69 (2008), 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006)
Communications ::Laos
Telephones - main lines in use:
132,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 137
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.235 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 111
Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing very rapidly
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2008)
Broadcast media:
2 television stations operating out of Vientiane - 1 government-operated and the other jointly-owned by the government and a Thai company; roughly 15 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated station in Vientiane; relays from Hanoi provide access to a Vietnamese television station; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 2 SW, and 2 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible (2008)
Internet country code:
.la
Internet hosts:
1,468 (2010) country comparison to the world: 161
Internet users:
300,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 130
Transportation ::Laos
Airports:
41 (2010) country comparison to the world: 102
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Pipelines:
refined products 540 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 36,831 km country comparison to the world: 93 paved: 4,811 km
unpaved: 32,020 km (2007)
Waterways:
4,600 km country comparison to the world: 24 note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 country comparison to the world: 157 by type: cargo 1 (2008)
Military ::Laos
Military branches:
Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum 18-month conscript service obligation (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,633,725
females age 16-49: 1,654,235 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,056,050
females age 16-49: 1,121,640 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 77,910
female: 77,761 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 164
Military - note:
serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2008)
Transnational Issues ::Laos
Disputes - international:
Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Illicit drugs:
estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2007)
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Latvia (Europe)
Introduction ::Latvia
Background:
The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography ::Latvia
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates:
57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 64,589 sq km country comparison to the world: 123 land: 62,249 sq km
water: 2,340 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,382 km
border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
Coastline:
498 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m
Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet and in need of drainage not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
49.9 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)
per capita: 108 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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:
most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east
People ::Latvia
Population:
2,217,969 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.3% (male 152,472/female 145,161)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 756,469/female 797,505)
65 years and over: 17% (male 124,432/female 255,464) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.4 years
male: 37.4 years
female: 43.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.602% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225
Birth rate:
9.9 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Death rate:
13.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Net migration rate:
-2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.054 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 161 male: 10.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.42 years country comparison to the world: 121 male: 67.27 years
female: 77.84 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups:
Latvian 59.3%, Russian 27.8%, Belarusian 3.6%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Polish 2.4%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.1% (2009)
Religions:
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 67
Government ::Latvia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Riga
geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
109 municipalities (novadi, singular-novads) and 9 cities*: Adazu Novads, Aglonas Novads, Aizkraukles Novads, Aizputes Novads, Aknistes Novads, Alojas Novads, Alsungas Novads, Aluksnes Novads, Amatas Novads, Apes Novads, Auces Novads, Babites Novads, Baldones Novads, Baltinavas Novads, Balvu Novads, Bauskas Novads, Beverinas Novads, Brocenu Novads, Burtnieku Novads, Carnikavas Novads, Cesu Novads, Cesvaines Novads, Ciblas Novads, Dagdas Novads, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Novads, Dobeles Novads, Dundagas Novads, Durbes Novads, Engures Novads, Erglu Novads, Garkalnes Novads, Grobinas Novads, Gulbenes Novads, Iecavas Novads, Ikskiles Novads, Ilukstes Novads, Incukalna Novads, Jaunjelgavas Novads, Juanpiebalgas Novads, Jaunpils Novads, Jekabpils*, Jekabpils Novads, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Novads, Jurmala*, Kandavas Novads, Karsavas Novads, Keguma Novads, Kekavas Novads, Kocenu Novads, Kokneses Novads, Kraslavas Novads, Krimuldas Novads, Krustpils Novads, Kuldigas Novads, Lielvardes Novads, Liepaja*, Ligatnes Novads, Limbazu Novads, Livanu Novads, Lubanas Novads, Ludzas Novads, Madonas Novads, Malpils Novads, Marupes Novads, Mazsalacas Novads, Nauksenu Novads, Neretas Novads, Nicas Novads, Ogres Novads, Olaines Novads, Ozolnieku Novads, Pargaujas Novads, Pavilostas Novads, Plavinu Novads, Preilu Novads, Priekules Novads, Priekulu Novads, Raunas Novads, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Novads, Riebinu Novads, Riga*, Rojas Novads, Ropazu Novads, Rucavas Novads, Rugaju Novads, Rujienas Novads, Rundales Novads, Salacgrivas Novads, Salas Novads, Salaspils Novads, Saldus Novads, Saulkrastu Novads, Sejas Novads, Siguldas Novads, Skriveru Novads, Skrundas Novads, Smiltenes Novads, Stopinu Novads, Strencu Novads, Talsu Novads, Tervetes Novads, Tukuma Novads, Vainodes Novads, Valkas Novads, Valmiera*, Varaklanu Novads, Varkavas Novads, Vecpiebalgas Novads, Vecumnieku Novads, Ventspils*, Ventspils Novads, Viesites Novads, Vilakas Novads, Vilanu Novads, Zilupes Novads
Independence:
18 November 1918 (from the Soviet Russia)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 was the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since
Legal system:
based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (since 12 March 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by Parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 May 2007 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament
election results: Valdis ZATLERS elected president; parliamentary vote - Valdis ZATLERS 58, Aivars ENDZINS 39
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 2 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - Unity bloc 31.2%, SC 26%, ZZS 19.7%, National Alliance 7.7%, For a Good Latvia bloc 7.7%; seats by party - Unity Coalition 33, SC 29, ZZS 22, National Alliance 8, For a Good Latvia 8
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament)
Political parties and leaders:
All For Latvia! [Irnants PARADNIEKS, Raivis DZINTARS]; Civic Union [Sandra KALNIETE, Girts Valdis KRISTOVSKIS]; First Party of Latvia/Latvia's Way or LPP/LC [Ainars SLESERS]; For a Good Latvia (alliance of TP, LPP/LC); For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS, Tatjana ZDANOKA]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Roberts ZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Nils USAKOVS, Janis URBANOVICS]; National Alliance (alliance of TB/LNNK, All For Latvia!); New Era Party or JL [Solvita ABOLTINA, Dzintars ZAKIS]; People's Party or TP [Andris SKELE]; Society for Different Politics or SCP [Aigars STOKENBERGS; Artis PABRIKS]; The Union of Latvian Greens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]; Unity bloc (alliance of Civic Union, New Era, SCP)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS], Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Elina EGLE], Farmers' Parliament [Juris LAZDINS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andrejs PILDEGOVICS
chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Judith G. GARBER
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510
mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723
telephone: [371] 670-36200
FAX: [371] 678-20047
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon; the flag is one of the older banners in the world; a medieval chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes in about 1280
National anthem:
name: "Dievs, sveti Latviju!" (God Bless Latvia)
lyrics/music: Karlis BAUMANIS
note: adopted 1920, restored 1990; the song was first performed in 1873 while Latvia was a part of Russia; the anthem was banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990
Economy ::Latvia
Economy - overview:
Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07 but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the softening world economy. GDP plunged 18% in 2009 - the three former Soviet Baltic republics had the world's worst declines that year - and another 1.8% in 2010. The IMF, EU, and other donors provided assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro and reduce the fiscal deficit to about 5% of GDP over time. DOMBROVSKIS' government enacted major speding cuts to reduce the fiscal deficit to 7.8% of GDP in 2010, and plans to cut the deficit further in 2011. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$32.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $32.79 billion (2009 est.)
$39.99 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$23.39 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 203 -18% (2009 est.)
-4.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $14,700 (2009 est.)
$17,800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 20.6%
services: 75.2% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
1.178 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12.1%
industry: 25.8%
services: 61.8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
19.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 17.1% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36 (2005) country comparison to the world: 84 32 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Public debt:
46.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 36.6% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 3.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 75 6% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.23% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 11.85% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$5.769 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 84 $5.893 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$11.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 $11.46 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$27.59 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $27.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.824 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 98 $1.609 billion (31 December 2008)
$3.111 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries:
pharmaceuticals, plastics, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, soaps, paints, rubber, processed foods, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - production:
4.62 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - consumption:
6.822 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - exports:
2.123 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
4.643 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Oil - consumption:
40,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - exports:
5,873 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - imports:
43,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - consumption:
2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - imports:
2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Current account balance:
$1.62 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $2.53 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$7.894 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $7.223 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Lithuania 15.19%, Estonia 13.57%, Russia 13.17%, Germany 8.13%, Sweden 5.7% (2009)
Imports:
$9.153 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $8.906 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners:
Lithuania 16.36%, Germany 11.34%, Russia 10.68%, Poland 8.11%, Estonia 7.69% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $6.907 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$37.28 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $41.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$11.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $11.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.097 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $1.037 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.5422 (2010), 0.5056 (2009), 0.4701 (2008), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006)
Communications ::Latvia
Telephones - main lines in use:
644,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 91
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.243 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 128
Telephone system:
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service expands
domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2008)
Broadcast media:
several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned, 2 national TV stations are publicly-owned; system supplemented by privately-owned regional and local TV stations; cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts are available; publicly-owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country; dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.lv
Internet hosts:
289,478 (2010) country comparison to the world: 59
Internet users:
1.504 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 81
Transportation ::Latvia
Airports:
42 (2010) country comparison to the world: 101
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 948 km; refined products 415 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,298 km country comparison to the world: 68 broad gauge: 2,265 km 1.520-m gauge
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 73,074 km country comparison to the world: 65 paved: 14,459 km
unpaved: 58,615 km (2010)
Waterways:
300 km (navigable year round) (2010) country comparison to the world: 93
Merchant marine:
total: 13 country comparison to the world: 107 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Estonia 4)
registered in other countries: 90 (Antigua and Barbuda 16, Belize 10, Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 1, Georgia 1, Liberia 9, Malta 11, Marshall Islands 18, Panama 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Riga, Ventspils
Military ::Latvia
Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Nacionalo Brunoto Speku): Ground Forces, Navy (Latvijas Juras Speki; includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flotes)), Latvian Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), Border Guard, Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 554,943
females age 16-49: 550,700 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 406,592
females age 16-49: 456,071 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 11,536
female: 11,058 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Transnational Issues ::Latvia
Disputes - international:
Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Illicit drugs:
transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds
page last updated on January 25, 2011
======================================================================
@Lebanon (Middle East)
Introduction ::Lebanon
Background:
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920, and granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been reduced or disbanded, with the exception of Hizballah, designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Palestinian militant groups. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in September 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 22 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Sa'ad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. In July 2006, Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel in which approximately 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed. UNSCR 1701 ended the war in August 2006, and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed throughout the country for the first time in decades, charged with securing Lebanon's borders against weapons smuggling and maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon with the help of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp, winning a decisive victory, but destroying the camp and displacing 30,000 Palestinian residents. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum until the election of LAF Commander Gen. Michel SULAYMAN in May 2008 and the formation of a new unity government in July 2008. Legislative elections in June 2009 again produced victory for the bloc led by Sa'ad HARIRI, but a period of prolonged negotiation over the composition of the cabinet ensued. A national unity government was finally formed in November 2009 and approved by the National Assembly the following month. In January 2010, Lebanon assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
Geography ::Lebanon
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Geographic coordinates:
33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 10,400 sq km country comparison to the world: 169 land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline:
225 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m
Natural resources:
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 16.35%
permanent crops: 13.75%
other: 69.9% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,040 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
4.8 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.38 cu km/yr (33%/1%/67%)
per capita: 385 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
People ::Lebanon
Population:
4,125,247 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 528,047/female 506,838)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,294,485/female 1,399,047)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 130,148/female 158,530) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.4 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.621% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Birth rate:
15.1 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Death rate:
6.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Net migration rate:
-2.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 179
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 115 male: 16.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.79 years country comparison to the world: 90 male: 73.28 years
female: 76.36 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups:
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Religions:
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 82.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2009)
Education expenditures:
2% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Government ::Lebanon
Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
former: Greater Lebanon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Beirut
geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye
note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution:
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently in 1990 to include changes necessitated by the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
Legal system:
mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; the constitutional court reviews laws only after they have been passed; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Michel SULAYMAN (since 25 May 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Najib MIQATI (since 25 January 2011)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly; note - the Cabinet resigned on 12 January 2010 following the resignation of over a third of the ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 25 May 2008 (next to be held in 2014); the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly
election results: Michel SULAYMAN elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 for, 6 abstentions, 3 invalidated; 1 seat unfilled due to death of incumbent
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57
Judicial branch:
four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)
Political parties and leaders:
14 March Coalition: Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Tripoli Independent Bloc
8 March Coalition: Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH]); Nasserite Popular Movement [Usama SAAD]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]; Tashnaq [Hovig MEKHITIRIAN]
Independent: Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]; Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maronite Church [Patriarch Nasrallah SFAYR]
other: note - most sects retain militias and a number of militant groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine CHEDID
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Maura CONNELLY
embassy: Awkar, Lebanon (Awkar facing the Municipality)
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070
telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600
FAX: [961] (4) 544136
Flag description:
three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity
National anthem:
name: "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)
lyrics/music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA
note: adopted 1927; the anthem was chosen following a nationwide competition
Economy ::Lebanon
Economy - overview:
Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The government does not restrict foreign investment; however, the investment climate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbitrary licensing decisions, high taxes, tariffs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intellectual property rights. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government in 2000 began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and passing legislation to privatize state enterprises, but economic and financial reform initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the 2002 Paris II Donors Conference. The Israeli-Hizballah conflict in July-August 2006 caused an estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage, and prompted international donors to pledge nearly $1 billion in recovery and reconstruction assistance. Donors met again in January 2007 at the Paris III Donor Conference and pledged more than $7.5 billion to Lebanon for development projects and budget support, conditioned on progress on Beirut's fiscal reform and privatization program. An 18-month political stalemate and sporadic sectarian and political violence hampered economic activity, particularly tourism, retail sales, and investment, until the new government was formed in July 2008. Political stability following the Doha Accord of May 2008 helped boost tourism and, together with a strong banking sector, enabled real GDP growth of 7% per year in 2009-10 despite a slowdown in the region.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$58.65 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 $54.71 billion (2009 est.)
$51.18 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.15 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 6.9% (2009 est.)
9.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 $13,300 (2009 est.)
$12,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 15.9%
services: 79% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
1.481 million country comparison to the world: 132 note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
30.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Public debt:
150.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 154.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 1.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 35 12% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.57% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 9.96% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$3.692 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 104 $3.21 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$92.01 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $82.07 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$62.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $56.98 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$12.89 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 67 $9.641 billion (31 December 2008)
$10.86 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Industries:
banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate:
2.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity - production:
10.41 billion kWh (2009) country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity - consumption:
9.793 billion kWh (2009) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.114 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Oil - consumption:
90,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2009) country comparison to the world: 186
Oil - imports:
86,750 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Current account balance:
-$6.972 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 -$7.555 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$5.187 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $4.716 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
Exports - partners:
Switzerland 22%, UAE 10%, Iraq 8%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2009)
Imports:
$17.97 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $15.9 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
US 11%, France 10%, China 9%, Italy 8%, Germany 8%, Turkey 4%, Ukraine 4.55%, Turkey 4.5% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$41.57 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 $39.16 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$34.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $31.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2010), 1,507.5 (2009), 1,507.5 (2008), 1,507.5 (2007), 1,507.5 (2006)
Communications ::Lebanon
Telephones - main lines in use:
750,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 88
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.526 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 138
Telephone system:
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two mobile-cellular networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 55 per 100 persons
international: country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2009)
Broadcast media:
7 TV stations in operation, 1 of which is state-owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state-owned; satellite and cable TV services are available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.lb
Internet hosts:
51,451 (2010) country comparison to the world: 87
Internet users:
1 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 101
Transportation ::Lebanon
Airports:
7 (2010) country comparison to the world: 169
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 43 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 401 km country comparison to the world: 118 standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
Roadways:
total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 148
Merchant marine:
total: 29 country comparison to the world: 85 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 12, carrier 11, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Syria 3)
registered in other countries: 40 (Barbados 2, Cambodia 6, Comoros 3, Egypt 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 2, Liberia 1, Malta 7, Moldova 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Syria 2, Togo 6, unknown 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Beirut, Tripoli
Military ::Lebanon
Military branches:
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army ((Al Jaysh al Lubnaniya) includes Navy (Al Quwwat al Bahiriyya al Lubnaniya), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya)) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,075,503
females age 16-49: 1,112,139 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 917,404
females age 16-49: 940,238 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 37,856
female: 36,072 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Transnational Issues ::Lebanon
Disputes - international:
lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 405,425 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 50,000-60,000 (Iraq)
IDPs: 17,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions); 200,000 (July-August 2006 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking
page last updated on January 25, 2011
======================================================================
@Lesotho (Africa)
Introduction ::Lesotho
Background:
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to dispute how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly.
Geography ::Lesotho
Location:
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
29 30 S, 28 30 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 30,355 sq km country comparison to the world: 141 land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Natural resources:
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Land use:
arable land: 10.87%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 89% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
5.2 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.05 cu km/yr (40%/40%/20%)
per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level
People ::Lesotho
Population:
1,919,552 country comparison to the world: 146 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 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 373,159/female 368,271)
15-64 years: 60.2% (male 629,346/female 654,054)
65 years and over: 5% (male 42,074/female 63,915) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.6 years
male: 22.6 years
female: 22.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.277% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Birth rate:
27.17 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Death rate:
15.71 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Net migration rate:
-8.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 40 male: 60.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.67 years country comparison to the world: 212 male: 50.58 years
female: 50.76 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
23.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
270,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
18,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Nationality:
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Ethnic groups:
Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Religions:
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Languages:
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.8%
male: 74.5%
female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
12.4% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Government ::Lesotho
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
local short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Government type:
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence:
4 October 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution:
2 April 1993
Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile
head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4
Judicial branch:
High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP (including the Lesotho People's Congress or LCP [Kelebone MAOPE], the Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE], and a faction of the Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]); All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotho Batho Democratic Party or BBDP; Basotho Congress Party or BCP; Basotho Democratic National Party or BDNP [Thabang NYEOE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Basotholand African National Congress or BANC; Christian Democratic Party or CDP [Enerst RAMOKOENA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party); Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Thabang MATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David Mohlomi RANTEKOA
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert NOLAN
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 22 312666
FAX: [266] 22 310116
Flag description:
three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
National anthem:
name: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)
lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR
note: adopted 1967; the anthem's music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook
Economy ::Lesotho
Economy - overview:
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa, customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and export revenue for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 permitted the sale of water to South Africa and generated royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as an apparel-assembly sector. Despite Lesotho's market-based economy being heavily tied to its neighbor South Africa, the US is an important trade partner because of the export sector's heavy dependence on apparel exports. Exports have grown significantly because of the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. In July 2007, Lesotho signed a Millennium Challenge Account Compact with the US worth $362.5 million. Economic growth dropped in 2009, due mainly to the effects of the global economic crisis as demand for the country's exports declined and SACU revenue fell precipitously when South Africa - the primary contributor to the SACU revenue pool - went into recession, but growth returned to 3.5% in 2010.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.31 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 $3.198 billion (2009 est.)
$3.148 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.799 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 1.6% (2009 est.)
3.9% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197 $1,700 (2009 est.)
$1,600 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.1%
industry: 34.6%
services: 58.2% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
854,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
45% (2002) country comparison to the world: 189
Population below poverty line:
49% (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 39.4% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
63.2 (1995) country comparison to the world: 3 56 (1986-87)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 7.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.66% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 24 14.05% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 16.19% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$653.3 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 149 $509.5 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.057 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $876 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$177.7 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 176 $147.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Industries:
food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - production:
502 million kWh country comparison to the world: 159 note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
516.9 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
50 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Oil - consumption:
2,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Oil - imports:
1,553 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Current account balance:
-$125 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $194 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$985 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $821 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals
Exports - partners:
US 58.9%, Belgium 37%, Madagascar 1.2% (2008)
Imports:
$1.766 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 $1.572 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
China 26.3%, Taiwan 20.1%, Hong Kong 16.4%, South Korea 14.1%, India 9.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$893 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 $988 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$647 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 $671 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.9 (2010), 8.4737 (2009), 7.75 (2008), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006)
Communications ::Lesotho
Telephones - main lines in use:
40,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 168
Telephones - mobile cellular:
661,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 153
Telephone system:
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho was tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service dominates the market and is expanding with a subscribership exceeding 30 per 100 persons in 2009; rural services are scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are obtainable (2008)
Internet country code:
.ls
Internet hosts:
632 (2010) country comparison to the world: 175
Internet users:
76,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 167
Transportation ::Lesotho
Airports:
26 (2010) country comparison to the world: 128
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 18 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 7,091 km country comparison to the world: 147 paved: 1,404 km
unpaved: 5,687 km (2003)
Military ::Lesotho
Military branches:
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 469,509
females age 16-49: 505,707 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 267,825
females age 16-49: 273,348 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 19,435
female: 20,400 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 56
Military - note:
Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)
Transnational Issues ::Lesotho
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Liberia (Africa)
Introduction ::Liberia
Background:
Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country continues.
Geography ::Liberia
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates:
6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 111,369 sq km country comparison to the world: 103 land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,049 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline:
579 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 3.43%
permanent crops: 1.98%
other: 94.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
232 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.11 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%)
per capita: 34 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Environment - current issues:
tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture
People ::Liberia
Population:
3,685,076 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.1% (male 760,989/female 758,554)
15-64 years: 53% (male 904,770/female 920,704)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 47,013/female 49,760) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.4 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 18.4 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.782% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Birth rate:
38.14 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Death rate:
10.88 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Net migration rate:
0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 76.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 18 male: 80.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 71.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.58 years country comparison to the world: 194 male: 55.05 years
female: 58.14 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.24 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
35,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian
Ethnic groups:
Kpelle 20.3%, Bassa 13.4%, Grebo 10%, Gio 8%, Mano 7.9%, Kru 6%, Lorma 5.1%, Kissi 4.8%, Gola 4.4%, other 20.1% (2008 Census)
Religions:
Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.4% (2008 Census)
Languages:
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5%
male: 73.3%
female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 13 years
female: 9 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 157
Government ::Liberia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Monrovia
geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
Independence:
26 July 1847
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Constitution:
6 January 1986
Legal system:
dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 8 November 2005 (next to be held in October 2011)
election results: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 59.6%, George WEAH 40.4%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats; note - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 11 October 2005 (next to be held in October 2011); House of Representatives - last held on 11 October 2005 (next to be held in October 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, COTOL 8, UP 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15; note - the UP now holds 13 out of 30 senate seats and 16 out of 64 house seats following a merger with several smaller parties in 2009
note: junior senators - those who received the second most votes in each county in the 11 October 2005 election - will only serve a six-year first term because the Liberian constitution mandates staggered Senate elections to ensure continuity of government; all senators will be eligible for nine-year terms thereafter
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Roland MASSAQUOI]; Unity Party or UP [Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: demobilized former military officers
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Edwin F. SELE
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Linda THOMAS-GREENFIELD
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 98, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [231] 7-705-4826
FAX: [231] 7-701-0370
Flag description:
11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a white five-pointed star appears on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence; the blue square represents the African mainland, and the star represents the freedom granted to the ex-slaves; according to the constitution, the blue color signifies liberty, justice, and fidelity, the white color purity, cleanliness, and guilelessness, and the red color steadfastness, valor, and fervor
note: the design is based on the US flag
National anthem:
name: "All Hail, Liberia Hail!"
lyrics/music: Daniel Bashiel WARNER/Olmstead LUCA
note: lyrics adopted 1847, music adopted 1860; the anthem's author would become the third president of Liberia
Economy ::Liberia
Economy - overview:
Liberia is a low income country heavily reliant on foreign assistance for revenue. Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many businesses fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them, but with the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected government in 2006, several have returned. Liberia has the distinction of having the highest ratio of direct foreign investment to GDP in the world. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, primarily raw timber and rubber and is reviving those sectors. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-trained banker and administrator, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted, opening new sources of revenue for the government and Liberia shipped its first major timber exports to Europe in 2010. The country reached its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative completion point in 2010 and nearly $5 billion of international debt was permanently eliminated. This new status will enable Liberia to estabilish a sovereign credit rating and issue bonds. Liberia's Paris Club creditors agreed to cancel Liberia's debt as well. Rebuilding infrastructure and raising incomes will depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power generation.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.76 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 $1.66 billion (2009 est.)
$1.587 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$977 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 4.6% (2009 est.)
8.6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 226 $500 (2009 est.)
$500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 76.9%
industry: 5.4%
services: 17.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.372 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 134
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 8%
services: 22% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
85% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Population below poverty line:
80% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.1% (2007)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.4% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 45 15.05% (31 December 2007)
Stock of narrow money:
$206.9 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 174 $145.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of broad money:
$NA (31 December 2009)
$NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.202 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 145 $1.157 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Industries:
rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
350 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Electricity - consumption:
325.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - exports:
23 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Oil - imports:
4,263 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Current account balance:
-$224 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 92
Exports:
$1.197 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 148
Exports - commodities:
rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
Exports - partners:
Germany 27.92%, Poland 17.12%, South Africa 15.83%, India 10.48%, Greece 7.09%, US 6.23%, Norway 5.24% (2009)
Imports:
$7.143 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 102
Imports - commodities:
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
South Korea 28.29%, Singapore 19.06%, Japan 17.06%, China 14.58%, Taiwan 4.02% (2009)
Debt - external:
$3.2 billion (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003)
Communications ::Liberia
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 224
Telephones - mobile cellular:
842,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 148
Telephone system:
general assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; fixed-line service stagnant and extremely limited; telephone coverage extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators
domestic: mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity reached 25 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
3 private TV stations; satellite TV service is available; 1 state-owned radio station; about 15 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with another 25 local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.lr
Internet hosts:
8 (2010) country comparison to the world: 224
Internet users:
20,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 193
Transportation ::Liberia
Airports:
29 (2010) country comparison to the world: 115
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 14 (2010)
Railways:
total: 429 km country comparison to the world: 117 standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
note: most sections of the railway are inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003 (2008)
Roadways:
total: 10,600 km country comparison to the world: 135 paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 2,512 country comparison to the world: 2 by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 507, cargo 136, carrier 1, chemical tanker 232, combination ore/oil 6, container 875, liquefied gas 93, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 509, refrigerated cargo 109, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 25
foreign-owned: 2,356 (Angola 1, Argentina 3, Australia 2, Belgium 1, Bermuda 4, Brazil 20, Canada 4, Chile 7, China 10, Croatia 2, Cyprus 7, Denmark 4, Finland 2, Germany 1049, Gibraltar 5, Greece 454, Hong Kong 47, India 1, Indonesia 4, Isle of Man 19, Israel 31, Italy 48, Japan 102, Latvia 9, Lebanon 1, Monaco 10, Netherlands 35, Nigeria 4, Norway 42, Poland 13, Qatar 5, Romania 3, Russia 108, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 27, Slovenia 5, South Korea 1, Sweden 10, Switzerland 17, Syria 1, Taiwan 88, Turkey 15, UAE 27, UK 25, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 1, US 39, Vietnam 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Buchanan, Monrovia
Military ::Liberia
Military branches:
Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 797,084
females age 16-49: 808,017 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 510,337
females age 16-49: 527,737 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 33,411
female: 35,264 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Transnational Issues ::Liberia
Disputes - international:
although civil unrest continues to abate with the assistance of 18,000 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) peacekeepers, as of January 2007, Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 12,600 (Cote d'Ivoire)
IDPs: 13,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center
page last updated on January 11, 2011
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@Libya (Africa)
Introduction ::Libya
Background:
The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his own political system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip - to gain access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing of Pan AM Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. During the 1990s, QADHAFI began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism. QADHAFI has made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to Brussels in April 2004. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In January 2008, Libya assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term. In August 2008, the US and Libya signed a bilateral comprehensive claims settlement agreement to compensate claimants in both countries who allege injury or death at the hands of the other country, including the Lockerbie bombing, the LaBelle disco bombing, and the UTA 772 bombing. In October 2008, the US Government received $1.5 billion pursuant to the agreement to distribute to US national claimants, and as a result effectively normalized its bilateral relationship with Libya. The two countries then exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 1973 in January 2009. Libya in May 2010 was elected to its first three-year seat on the UN Human Rights Council, prompting protests from international non-governmental organizations and human rights campaigners.
Geography ::Libya
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 17 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,759,540 sq km country comparison to the world: 17 land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 4,348 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline:
1,770 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm
Climate:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 98.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
4,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.6 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 4.27 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)
per capita: 730 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues:
desertification; limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
People ::Libya
Population:
6,461,454 country comparison to the world: 101 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 1,065,606/female 1,020,102)
15-64 years: 62.6% (male 2,036,780/female 1,923,566)
65 years and over: 4.4% (male 136,224/female 142,079) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.2 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 24.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.117% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Birth rate:
24.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Death rate:
3.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 93
Urbanization:
urban population: 78% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female