Y (continued 44)
Reading edition
Transnational Issues ::Turkey
Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1-1.2 million (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@Turkmenistan (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Turkmenistan
Background:
Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian province of Khurasan; in medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country once extraction and delivery projects are expanded. The Turkmen Government is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still dominant Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president.
Geography ::Turkmenistan
Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km country comparison to the world: 52 land: 469,930 sq km
water: 18,170 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
subtropical desert
Terrain:
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m
note: Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Land use:
arable land: 4.51%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 95.35% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
60.9 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)
per capita: 5,104 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau
People ::Turkmenistan
Population:
4,940,916 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 713,698/female 697,222)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,618,678/female 1,646,992)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 90,352/female 117,945) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 25.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.14% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Birth rate:
19.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Death rate:
6.27 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Net migration rate:
-1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% 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: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.84 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 60 male: 52.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.2 years country comparison to the world: 151 male: 65.25 years
female: 71.29 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.19 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups:
Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)
Religions:
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages:
Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.3% (1999 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 110
Government ::Turkmenistan
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule, with power concentrated within the presidential administration
Capital:
name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 26 September 2008
Legal system:
transitioning to civil law system and influenced by Islamic law tradition; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 11 February 2007 (next to be held in February 2012)
election results: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 89.2%, Amanyaz ATAJYKOW 3.2%, other candidates 7.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament known as the National Assembly (Mejlis) (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 14 December 2008 (next to be held in December 2013)
election results: 100% of elected officials are members of either the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or its pseudo-civil society parent organization, the Revival Movement, and are preapproved by the president
note: in 26 September 2008, a new constitution of Turkmenistan abolished a second, 2,507-member legislative body known as the People's Council and expanded the number of deputies in the National Assembly from 65 to 125; the powers formerly held by the People's Council were divided up between the president and the National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW is chairman; Kasymguly BABAYEW is DPT Political Council First Secretary]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad; the three most prominent opposition groups-in-exile are the National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT), the Republican Party of Turkmenistan, and the Watan (Fatherland) Party; the NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOW
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eileen A. MALLOY
embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000
mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
telephone: [993] (12) 35-00-45
FAX: [993] (12) 39-26-14
Flag description:
green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life
note: the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags
National anthem:
name: "Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
lyrics/music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV
note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised 2008; following the death of the President Saparmurat NYYAZOW, the lyrics were altered to eliminate references to the former president
Economy ::Turkmenistan
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and sizeable gas and oil resources. The two largest crops are cotton, most of which is produced for export, and wheat, which is domestically consumed. Although agriculture accounts for roughly 10% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce. With an authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton export revenues to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. From 1998-2005, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by an average of roughly 15% per year from 2003-08, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. New pipelines to China and Iran, that began operation in late 2009 and early 2010, have given Turkmenistan additional export routes for its gas, although these new routes have not offset the sharp drop in export revenue since early 2009 from decreased gas exports to Russia. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, endemic corruption, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. In the past, Turkmenistan's economic statistics were state secrets. The new government has established a State Agency for Statistics, but GDP numbers and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain. Since his election, President BERDIMUHAMEDOW unified the country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, and initiated development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged, numerous bureaucratic obstacles impede international business activity.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$36.64 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $33.01 billion (2009 est.)
$31.11 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$27.96 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 6.1% (2009 est.)
10.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $6,800 (2009 est.)
$6,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 30%
services: 59.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
2.3 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 48.2%
industry: 14%
services: 37.8% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
60% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Population below poverty line:
30% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998) country comparison to the world: 60
Investment (gross fixed):
12.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 208 10% (2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$573 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 157 $469.5 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.053 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 $912.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.089 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $1.811 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock
Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
7.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - production:
15.5 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - consumption:
13 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - exports:
2.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
197,700 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - consumption:
120,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Oil - exports:
38,360 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - production:
34 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - consumption:
20 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - exports:
14 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - proved reserves:
7.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Current account balance:
$3.081 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $1.065 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$9.672 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $6.737 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber
Exports - partners:
Ukraine 22.3%, Turkey 10.27%, Hungary 6.75%, UAE 6.25%, Poland 6.16%, Afghanistan 5.79%, Iran 5.17% (2009)
Imports:
$4.888 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 116 $4.109 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 18.03%, Turkey 16.49%, Russia 16.45%, Germany 5.91%, UAE 5.81%, Ukraine 5.67%, US 5.41%, France 4.32% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.81 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $9.551 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$5 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $1.4 billion (2004 est.)
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 2.85 (2010), 2.85 (2009), 14,250 (2008)
Communications ::Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
478,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 99
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.5 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 139
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization
domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; mobile telephone usage is expanding with Russia's Mobile Telesystems (MTS) the primary service provider; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 40 per 100 persons
international: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2008)
Broadcast media:
broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 4 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by seizing satellite dishes (2007)
Internet country code:
.tm
Internet hosts:
794 (2010) country comparison to the world: 172
Internet users:
80,400 (2009) country comparison to the world: 165
Transportation ::Turkmenistan
Airports:
27 (2010) country comparison to the world: 122
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 6,417 km; oil 1,457 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,980 km country comparison to the world: 56 broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 58,592 km country comparison to the world: 77 paved: 47,577 km
unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)
Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2008) country comparison to the world: 56
Merchant marine:
total: 9 country comparison to the world: 119 by type: cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy
Military ::Turkmenistan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,360,898
females age 16-49: 1,368,265 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,046,907
females age 16-49: 1,168,960 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 55,805
female: 54,908 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Transnational Issues ::Turkmenistan
Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005, but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran, and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate the sea's waters and seabed
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 11,173 (Tajikistan); less than 1,000 (Afghanistan) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Turks and Caicos Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.
Geography ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 948 sq km country comparison to the world: 185 land: 948 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
389 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Flamingo Hill 48 m
Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
People ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:
23,528 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 217
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 3,528/female 3,401)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 7,875/female 7,164)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 475/female 499) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 28 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 27.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.491% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Birth rate:
20.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Death rate:
4.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Net migration rate:
8.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.047 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 130 male: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.64 years country comparison to the world: 78 male: 73.32 years
female: 78.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.92 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
Government ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
abbreviation: TCI
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and the constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct British rule
Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August 2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory Council appointed by the governor (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government, the UK foreign minister directed the governor to bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a period of up to two years
Legislative branch:
under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is dissolved and all seats vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be established
elections: last held on 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turks Head cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota
National anthem:
name: "This Land of Ours"
lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL
note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$216 million (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 215
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,500 (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.) country comparison to the world: 219
Labor force - by occupation:
note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995) country comparison to the world: 115
Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
12 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - consumption:
11.16 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - imports:
80 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Exports:
$169.2 million (2000) country comparison to the world: 183
Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Imports:
$175.6 million (2000) country comparison to the world: 202
Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 217
Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,100 (2004) country comparison to the world: 205
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
while there are no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; government-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations broadcasting (2007)
Internet country code:
.tc
Internet hosts:
8,969 (2010) country comparison to the world: 127
Transportation ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Airports:
8 (2010) country comparison to the world: 163
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 121 km country comparison to the world: 211 paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 151
Ports and terminals:
Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales
Military ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,062
females age 16-49: 4,772 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 229
female: 223 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
page last updated on December 28, 2010
======================================================================
@Tuvalu (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Tuvalu
Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography ::Tuvalu
Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 26 sq km country comparison to the world: 237 land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
24 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 66.67%
other: 33.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Environment - current issues:
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
People ::Tuvalu
Population:
10,472 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 224
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 1,841/female 1,770)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,973/female 4,141)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 240/female 408) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.9 years
male: 22.4 years
female: 26 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.659% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Birth rate:
23.01 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Death rate:
9.36 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Net migration rate:
-7.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 207
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.051 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 35.52 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 71 male: 38.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.39 years country comparison to the world: 168 male: 62.36 years
female: 66.51 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.14 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Tuvalu
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
local long form: none
local short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Funafuti
geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
1 October 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:
1 October 1978
Legal system:
English common law supplemented by local customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since May 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Willie TELAVI (since 24 December 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament following parliamentary elections
election results: Willie TELAVI elected prime minister in a parliamentary election on 24 December 2010 following a no-confidence vote on 21 December 2010 that ousted Maatia TOAFA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15; 10 members reelected
Judicial branch:
High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534, fax: [1] (212) 937-0692
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description:
light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean
National anthem:
name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)
lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA
note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto
Economy ::Tuvalu
Economy - overview:
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports and is almost entirely dependent upon imported food and fuel. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Job opportunities are scarce and public sector workers make up most of those employed. About 15% of the adult male population work as seamen on merchant ships abroad, and remittances are a vital source of income contributing around $2 million in 2007. Substantial income is received annually from the Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this fund grew from an initial $17 million to an estimated value of $77 million in 2006. The TTF contributed nearly $9 million towards the government budget in 2006 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. The US Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to ensure financial stability and sustainability, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts. Tuvalu also derives royalties from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name with revenue of more than $2 million in 2006. A minor source of government revenue comes from the sale of stamps and coins. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments. Growing income disparities and the vulnerability of the country to climatic change are among leading concerns for the nation.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.94 million (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 226
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.94 million (2002)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,600 (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 27.2%
services: 56.2% (2002)
Labor force:
3,615 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 220
Labor force - by occupation:
note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Agriculture - products:
coconuts; fish
Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Current account balance:
-$11.68 million (2003) country comparison to the world: 62
Exports:
$1 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Exports - commodities:
copra, fish
Imports:
$12.91 million (2005) country comparison to the world: 220
Imports - commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.1151 (2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)
Communications ::Tuvalu
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 226
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 215
Telephone system:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
Broadcast media:
no television broadcast stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2009)
Internet country code:
.tv
Internet hosts:
109,478 (2010) country comparison to the world: 77
Internet users:
4,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 205
Transportation ::Tuvalu
Airports:
1 (2010) country comparison to the world: 213
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 8 km country comparison to the world: 221 paved: 8 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 66 country comparison to the world: 64 by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 20, chemical tanker 16, container 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 49 (Thailand 1, Vietnam 6, Turkey 1, Switzerland 1, South Korea 1, Singapore 25, Maldives 1, Malaysia 1, Kenya 1, Hong Kong 1, China 9, Ukraine 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Funafuti
Military ::Tuvalu
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2009)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,981
females age 16-49: 2,005 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 120
female: 110 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Tuvalu
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Uganda (Africa)
Introduction ::Uganda
Background:
The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.
Geography ::Uganda
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 241,038 sq km country comparison to the world: 80 land: 197,100 sq km
water: 43,938 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Land use:
arable land: 21.57%
permanent crops: 8.92%
other: 69.51% (2005)
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
66 cu km (1970)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (43%/17%/40%)
per capita: 10 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching
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: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers
People ::Uganda
Population:
33,398,682 country comparison to the world: 37 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: 50% (male 8,152,830/female 8,034,366)
15-64 years: 47.9% (male 7,789,209/female 7,703,143)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 286,693/female 403,317) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 15 years
male: 14.9 years
female: 15.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.563% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Birth rate:
47.55 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Death rate:
11.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Net migration rate:
-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Urbanization:
urban population: 13% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.7 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 28 male: 67.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.98 years country comparison to the world: 205 male: 51.92 years
female: 54.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.73 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
940,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
77,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic groups:
Baganda 16.9%, Banyakole 9.5%, Basoga 8.4%, Bakiga 6.9%, Iteso 6.4%, Langi 6.1%, Acholi 4.7%, Bagisu 4.6%, Lugbara 4.2%, Bunyoro 2.7%, other 29.6% (2002 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)
Languages:
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.8%
male: 76.8%
female: 57.7% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 10 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 139
Government ::Uganda
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Kampala
geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 25 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
80 districts; Abim, Adjumani, Amolatar, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bukedea, Bukwa, Bulisa, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Dokolo, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kiruhara, Kisoro, Kitgum, Koboko, Kotido, Kumi, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Lyantonde, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namutumba, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Oyam, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe
Independence:
9 October 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution:
8 October 1995; amended in 2005
note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and legalized a multiparty political system
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Apolo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 23 February 2006 (next to be held on 18 February 2011)
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (332 seats; 215 members elected by popular vote, 104 nominated by legally established special interest groups [women 79, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 13 ex-officio members; members to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 23 February 2006 (next to be held on 18 February 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 205, FDC 37, UPC 9, DP 8, CP 1, JEEMA 1, independents 37, other 34
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza BESIGYE]; Inter-Party Co-operation or IPC (a coalition of opposition groups); Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Miria OBOTE]
note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's transition to a multi-party political system
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Lord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY]; Young Parliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI]; Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Women or COPAW
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Perezi Karukubiro KAMUNANWIRE
chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jerry P. LANIER
embassy: 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala
mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone: [256] (414) 259 791 through 93, 95
FAX: [256] (414) 258-794
Flag description:
six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side; black symbolizes the African people, yellow sunshine and vitality, red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK
National anthem:
name: "Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty!"
lyrics/music: George Wilberforce KAKOMOA
note: adopted 1962
Economy ::Uganda
Economy - overview:
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, small deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil. Uganda has never conducted a national minerals survey. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. Since 1990 economic reforms ushered in an era of solid economic growth based on continued investment in infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, lower inflation, better domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Uganda has received about $2 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief. In 2007 Uganda received $10 million for a Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program. The global economic downturn has hurt Uganda's exports; however, Uganda's GDP growth is still relatively strong due to past reforms and sound management of the downturn. Oil revenues and taxes will become a larger source of government funding as oil comes on line in the next few years. Instability in southern Sudan is the biggest risk for the Ugandan economy in 2011 because Uganda's main export partner is Sudan and Uganda is a key destination for Sudanese refugees.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$41.7 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $39.41 billion (2009 est.)
$36.76 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$17.12 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 7.2% (2009 est.)
8.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 $1,200 (2009 est.)
$1,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.6%
industry: 24.5%
services: 51.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
15.51 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 82%
industry: 5%
services: 13% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
35% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 34.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.7 (2002) country comparison to the world: 39 37.4 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Public debt:
20.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 20.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196 14.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
9.65% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 13 19.42% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.96% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 20.45% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$1.997 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 119 $1.603 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$3.905 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 $3.322 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.882 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $1.716 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009)
$NA (31 December 2007)
$116.3 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Industries:
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity - production:
2.256 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Electricity - consumption:
2.068 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - exports:
30 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
NA bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Oil - imports:
13,090 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Current account balance:
-$784 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 -$451 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$2.941 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $2.7 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold
Exports - partners:
Sudan 13.47%, Kenya 8.98%, UAE 7.52%, Rwanda 7.5%, Switzerland 7.42%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.85%, Netherlands 5.67%, Belgium 5.66%, Germany 5.18%, Italy 4.33% (2009)
Imports:
$4.474 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $3.844 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals
Imports - partners:
Kenya 13.9%, India 12.79%, UAE 11.16%, China 8.91%, South Africa 5.08%, France 4.6%, Japan 4.37%, US 4.07% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.743 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $2.995 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
note: excludes gold
Debt - external:
$2.888 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 $2.554 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar - 2,166 (2010), 2,038.9 (2009), 1,658.1 (2008), 1,685.8 (2007), 1,834.9 (2006)
Communications ::Uganda
Telephones - main lines in use:
233,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 124
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.384 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 68
Telephone system:
general assessment: mobile cellular service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still deficient; work underway on a national backbone information and communications technology infrastructure; international phone networks and Internet connectivity provided through satellite and VSAT applications
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellular systems for short-range traffic; mobile-cellular teledensity about 30 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Broadcast media:
public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and television networks; Uganda first began licensing privately-owned stations in the 1990s; by 2007 there were nearly 150 radio and 35 TV stations, mostly based in and around Kampala; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available in Kampala (2007)
Internet country code:
.ug
Internet hosts:
19,927 (2010) country comparison to the world: 111
Internet users:
3.2 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 66
Transportation ::Uganda
Airports:
46 (2010) country comparison to the world: 95
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Railways:
total: 1,244 km country comparison to the world: 84 narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 70,746 km country comparison to the world: 68 paved: 16,272 km
unpaved: 54,474 km (2003)
Waterways:
there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200 km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores (2009)
Ports and terminals:
Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Military ::Uganda
Military branches:
Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF): Army (includes Marine Unit), Uganda Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-26 years of age for voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; no conscription; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that recruitment below 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,972,134
females age 16-49: 6,752,005 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,138,180
females age 16-49: 4,028,125 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 412,640
female: 408,521 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 67
Transnational Issues ::Uganda
Disputes - international:
Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders; Uganda hosts 209,860 Sudanese, 27,560 Congolese, and 19,710 Rwandan refugees, while Ugandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National Park; LRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 215,700 (Sudan); 28,880 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 24,900 (Rwanda)
IDPs: 1.27 million (350,000 IDPs returned in 2006 following ongoing peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda) (2007)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Ukraine (Europe)
Introduction ::Ukraine
Background:
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006. An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya TYMOSHENKO, as head of an "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007. Viktor YANUKOVUYCH was elected president in a February 2010 run-off election that observers assessed as meeting most international standards. The following month, the Rada approved a vote of no-confidence prompting Yuliya TYMOSHENKO to resign from her post as prime minister.
Geography ::Ukraine
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Geographic coordinates:
49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 603,550 sq km country comparison to the world: 45 land: 579,330 sq km
water: 24,220 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,566 km
border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 940 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 176 km, Romania (southwest) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline:
2,782 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain:
most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 53.8%
permanent crops: 1.5%
other: 44.7% (2005)
Irrigated land:
22,080 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
139.5 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.53 cu km/yr (12%/35%/52%)
per capita: 807 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note:
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
People ::Ukraine
Population:
45,415,596 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 3,238,280/female 3,066,594)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 15,399,488/female 16,742,612)
65 years and over: 15.9% (male 2,422,311/female 4,831,110) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.7 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 42.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.619% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 226
Birth rate:
9.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Death rate:
15.7 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.065 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.73 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 160 male: 10.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.46 years country comparison to the world: 149 male: 62.56 years
female: 74.74 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
440,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
19,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Nationality:
noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups:
Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Protestant 2.2%, Jewish 0.6%, other 3.2% (2006 est.)
Languages:
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 54
Government ::Ukraine
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ukraine
local long form: none
local short form: Ukrayina
former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Kyiv (Kiev)
note: pronounced KAY-yiv
geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 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:
24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Greater (Eastern) Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 25 February 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Mykola AZAROV (since 11 March 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy KLYUYEV (since 11 March 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Borys KOLESNIKOV, Serhiy TIHIPKO, Viktor TYKHONOV (all since 11 March 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the president and approved by the Rada (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Administration helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 January 2010 with runoff on 7 February 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: Viktor YANUKOVYCH elected president; percent of vote - Viktor YANUKOVYCH 48.95%, Yuliya TYMOSHENKO 45.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; members allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote; members to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 30 September 2007 (next must be held in 2012 or sooner if a ruling coalition cannot be formed in the Rada)
election results: percent of vote by party/bloc - Party of Regions 34.4%, Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko 30.7%, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 14.2%, CPU 5.4%, Lytvyn Bloc 4%, other parties 11.3%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 175, Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko 156, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 72, CPU 27, Lytvyn Bloc 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko-Batkivshchyna (BYuT-Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; European Party of Ukraine [Mykola KATERYNCHUK]; Forward Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA]; Front of Change [Arseniy YATSENYUK]; Lytvyn Bloc (composed of People's Party and Labor Party of Ukraine) [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Party of the Defenders of the Fatherland [Yuriy KARMAZIN]; People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; Peoples' Self-Defense [Yuriy LUTSENKO]; PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Sobor [Anatoliy MATVIYENKO]; Social Democratic Party [Yevhen KORNICHUK]; Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Yuriy ZAHORODNIY]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ]; Strong Ukraine [SERHIY TIHIPKO]; Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Center [Viktor BALOHA]; Viche [Inna BOHOSLOVSKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Aleksandr CHERNENKO]; OPORA [Olha AIVAZOVSKA]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CICA (observer), CIS (participating member, has not signed the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings), EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Oleksandr MOTSYK
chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606
FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 01901 Kyiv
mailing address: 5850 Kyiv Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850
telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000
FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky
National anthem:
name: "Sche ne vmerla Ukraina" (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished)
lyrics/music: Paul CHUBYNSKYI/Mikhail VERBYTSKYI
note: music adopted 1991, lyrics adopted 2003; the song was first performed in 1864 at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv; the lyrics, originally written in 1862, were revised in 2003
Economy ::Ukraine
Economy - overview:
After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Shortly after independence in August 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements and 100% of its nuclear fuel needs. After a two-week dispute that saw gas supplies cutoff to Europe, Ukraine agreed to ten-year gas supply and transit contracts with Russia in January 2009 that brought gas prices to "world" levels. The strict terms of the contracts have further hobbled Ukraine's cash-strapped state gas company, Naftohaz. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework. Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president until mid-2008. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2006-07, fueled by high global prices for steel - Ukraine's top export - and by strong domestic consumption, spurred by rising pensions and wages. Ukraine reached an agreement with the IMF for a $16.4 billion Stand-By Arrangement in November 2008 to deal with the economic crisis, but the Ukrainian Government's lack of progress in implementing reforms has twice delayed the release of IMF assistance funds. The drop in steel prices and Ukraine's exposure to the global financial crisis due to aggressive foreign borrowing lowered growth in 2008 and the economy contracted more than 15% in 2009, among the worst economic performances in the world; growth resumed in 2010, buoyed by exports. External conditions are likely to hamper efforts for economic recovery in 2011.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$306.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $293.7 billion (2009 est.)
$345.9 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$136.6 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 -15.1% (2009 est.)
2.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 $6,400 (2009 est.)
$7,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.8%
industry: 32.3%
services: 57.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
22.06 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15.8%
industry: 18.5%
services: 65.7% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
8.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 8.8% (2009 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
35% (2009)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 25.7% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31 (2006) country comparison to the world: 105 29 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
16.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Public debt:
38.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 30% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 198 15.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 32 12% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.86% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 17.49% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$34.97 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 51 $30 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$73.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $62.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$110.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $103.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$16.79 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 56 $24.36 billion (31 December 2008)
$111.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Industries:
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Electricity - production:
172.9 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Electricity - consumption:
134.6 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Electricity - exports:
4 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
99,930 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Oil - consumption:
348,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - exports:
154,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Oil - imports:
147,600 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - proved reserves:
395 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - production:
21.2 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - consumption:
52 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - exports:
5 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - imports:
26.83 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Current account balance:
$603 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 -$1.732 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$49.71 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $40.39 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners:
Russia 21.1%, Turkey 5.3%, China 3.8% (2009)
Imports:
$53.54 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $45.05 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Russia 28%, Germany 8.6%, China 6.1%, Kazakhstan 4.9%, Poland 4.9% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$32.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $26.51 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$97.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $94.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$52.31 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $46.81 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$2.327 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65 $2.067 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar - 7.9111 (2010), 7.7912 (2009), 4.9523 (2008), 5.05 (2007), 5.05 (2006)
Communications ::Ukraine
Telephones - main lines in use:
13.026 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephones - mobile cellular:
55.333 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephone system:
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile-cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is rising and the domestic trunk system is being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching stations; improvements in local networks and local exchanges continue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market which has reached 120 mobile phones per 100 people
international: country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3 Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Broadcast media:
TV coverage is provided by Ukraine's state-controlled nationwide broadcast channel (UT1) and a number of privately-owned television broadcast networks; Russian television broadcasts have a small audience nationwide, but larger audiences in the eastern and southern regions; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; Ukraine's radio broadcast market, a mix of independent and state-owned networks, is comprised of some 300 stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.ua
Internet hosts:
1.098 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 42
Internet users:
7.77 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 38
Transportation ::Ukraine
Airports:
425 (2010) country comparison to the world: 19
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 189
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 97 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 236
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 214 (2010)
Heliports:
7 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 33,327 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 21,658 km country comparison to the world: 13 broad gauge: 21,658 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways:
total: 169,495 km country comparison to the world: 30 paved: 165,820 km (includes 15 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,675 km (2009)
Waterways:
2,150 km (most on Dnieper River) (2009) country comparison to the world: 42
Merchant marine:
total: 160 country comparison to the world: 41 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 123, chemical tanker 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Iran 1)
registered in other countries: 197 (Belize 6, Cambodia 37, Comoros 10, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 15, Liberia 16, Malta 30, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 12, Mongolia 1, Panama 11, Russia 12, Saint Kitts and Nevis 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 5, Slovakia 7, Tuvalu 1, Vanuatu 3, unknown 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Feodosiya (Theodosia), Illichivsk, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Yuzhnyy
Military ::Ukraine
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18 months for Navy (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,149,646
females age 16-49: 11,437,891 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,970,035
females age 16-49: 9,015,224 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 256,196
female: 244,473 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Transnational Issues ::Ukraine
Disputes - international:
1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete with preparations for demarcation underway; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level discussions; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply, and Romania until June 2007 to rejoin, in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@United Arab Emirates (Middle East)
Introduction ::United Arab Emirates
Background:
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy, however, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard.
Geography ::United Arab Emirates
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 83,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 114 land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline:
1,318 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
760 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.2 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.3 cu km/yr (23%/9%/68%)
per capita: 511 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People ::United Arab Emirates
Population:
4,975,593 country comparison to the world: 114 note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net immigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 500,928/female 478,388)
15-64 years: 78.7% (male 2,768,030/female 1,008,404)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 27,601/female 15,140)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.2 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 24.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.561% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Birth rate:
15.98 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Death rate:
2.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225
Net migration rate:
21.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Urbanization:
urban population: 78% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% 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: 2.75 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.8 male(s)/female
total population: 2.2 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 136 male: 14.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.32 years country comparison to the world: 70 male: 73.75 years
female: 79.01 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.41 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups:
Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 184
Government ::United Arab Emirates
Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwain)
Independence:
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution:
2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996
Legal system:
based on a dual system of sharia and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009) and MANSUR bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2009 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid Al-Maktum
Legislative branch:
unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains appointed) held on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat and 8 women were among the 20 appointed members
note: the FNC reviews legislation but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch:
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
none; political parties are not allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusif bin Mani bin Said al-UTAYBA
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard G. OLSON, Jr.
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification
National anthem:
name: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE)