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National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $6,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 13% (1990)
Budget: revenues: $735 million expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $59 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum partners: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)
External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 180,000 kW production: 450 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,149 kWh (1993)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock - cattle, pigs, poultry
Illicit drugs: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.51 billion
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9243 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@French Guiana:Transportation
Railroads: total: 22 km (est.)
Highways: total: 1,137 km paved: 455 km unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 682 km (1988)
Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Ports: Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 11 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
@French Guiana:Communications
Telephone system: 18,100 telephones; fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system local: NA intercity: open wire and microwave radio relay international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 9 televisions: NA
@French Guiana:Defense Forces
Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 41,986; males fit for military service 27,298
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
FRENCH POLYNESIA
(overseas territory of France)
@French Polynesia:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area: total area: 3,941 sq km land area: 3,660 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,525 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 19% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 31% other: 44%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January international agreements: NA
Note: includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
@French Polynesia:People
Population: 219,999 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (female 38,361; male 39,744) 15-64 years: 60% (female 64,034; male 69,024) 65 years and over: 4% (female 4,437; male 4,399) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.23% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.75 years male: 68.32 years female: 73.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Literacy: age 14 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1977) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98%
Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)
@French Polynesia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise
Digraph: FP
Type: overseas territory of France since 1946
Capital: Papeete
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994) head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991); Deputy to the French Assembly and President of the Territorial Assembly Jean JUVENTIN (since NA November 1992); Territorial Vice President and Minister of Health Michel BUILLARD (since 12 September 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly: elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 12, New Fatherland Party 7, other 4 French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law
Political parties and leaders: People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; Here Ai'a Party, Jean JUVENTIN; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Hviraatira No Te Ao Maohi), Oscar TEMARU; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), Jacques DROLLET; other small parties
Member of: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@French Polynesia:Economy
Overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about 20% of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $7,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1990 est.)
Budget: revenues: $614 million expenditures: $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Exports: $88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat partners: France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
Imports: $765 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 75,000 kW production: 275 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 96.25 (January 1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
@French Polynesia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 600 km (1982) paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT ships by type: passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissable under the main French register
Airports: total: 43 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14 with paved runways under 914 m: 18 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@French Polynesia:Communications
Telephone system: 33,200 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: 84,000
Television: broadcast stations: 6 televisions: 26,400
@French Polynesia:Defense Forces
Branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Note: defense is responsibility of France
FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS
(overseas territory of France)
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - "French Southern and Antarctic Lands" includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antartica, "Terre Adelie"; the United States does not recognize the French claim to "Terre Adelie"
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total area: 7,781 sq km land area: 7,781 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Terre Adelie" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,232 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: "Terre Adelie" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
Natural resources: fish, crayfish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes international agreements: NA
Note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are researchers whose numbers vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Government
Names: conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
Digraph: FS
Type: overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High Administrator Bernard de GOUTTES (since May 1990), who is assisted by a 7-member Consultative Council and a 12-member Scientific Council
Capital: none; administered from Paris, France
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Terre Adelie" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.
Budget: revenues: $17.5 million expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Transportation
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: total: 48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290,975 GRT/2,403,050 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 6, chemical tanker 4, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 3, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8, specialized liquefied tanker 1 note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissable under the main French register
Airports: none
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
GABON
@Gabon:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 267,670 sq km land area: 257,670 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries: total 2,551 km, Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline: 885 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Natural resources: petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 78% other: 2%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: deforestation; poaching natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94
@Gabon:People
Population: 1,155,749 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (female 193,859; male 194,761) 15-64 years: 61% (female 347,839; male 359,997) 65 years and over: 5% (female 30,218; male 29,075) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.46% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 28.34 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 13.72 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 92.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.14 years male: 52.31 years female: 58.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese
Ethnic divisions: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 100,000, including 27,000 French
Religions: Christian 55%-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 61% male: 74% female: 48%
Labor force: 120,000 salaried by occupation: agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%
@Gabon:Government
Names: conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon
Digraph: GB
Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)
Capital: Libreville
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic Party established)
Constitution: adopted 14 March 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967); election last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held 1998); results - President Omar BONGO was reelected with 51% of the vote head of government: Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9 December 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held by 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PDG 62, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), Jaques ADIAHENOT, Secretary General; National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE, leader; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE, President; National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original), Pierre ZONGUE-NGUEMA, Chairman; Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), leader NA; Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), leader NA; Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP), leader NA; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), leader NA; Rally of Democrats (RD), leader NA; Forces of Change for Democratic Union, leader NA
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007, Suite 200 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph C. WILSON IV embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville mailing address: B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92 FAX: [241] 74 55 07
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
@Gabon:Economy
Overview: Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a per capita income more than twice that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Real growth was feeble in 1992 and Gabon continues to face the problem of fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite an abundance of natural wealth, and a manageable rate of population growth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% in January 1994 did not set off an expected inflationary spiral but the government must continue to keep a tight reign on spending and wage increases.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.9% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,900 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $311 million (1993 est.)
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est) commodities: crude oil 80%, timber 10%, manganese 6%, uranium 2% partners: US 38%, France 26%, Japan, Germany
Imports: $832 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery partners: France 42%, African countries 23%, US, Japan
External debt: $3.3 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -3% (1991)
Electricity: capacity: 315,000 kW production: 910 million kWh consumption per capita: 757 kWh (1993)
Industries: food and beverages, lumbering and plywood, textiles, cement, petroleum refining, mining - manganese, uranium, gold, petroleum
Agriculture: cash crops - cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock raising not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $68 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2.342 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million
Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Gabon:Transportation
Railroads: total: 649 km single track (Transgabonese Railroad) standard gauge: 649 km 1.437-m gauge
Highways: total: 7,500 km paved: 560 km unpaved: crushed stone 960 km; earth 5,980 km
Inland waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
Ports: Cape Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil
Merchant marine: total: 1 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,281 GRT/12,665 DWT
Airports: total: 69 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 28 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 8 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23
@Gabon:Communications
Telephone system: 15,000 telephones; telephone density - 13/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: adequate system, comprising cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiocommunication stations, and 12 domestic satellite links international: 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 3 (repeaters 5) televisions: NA
@Gabon:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 272,025; males fit for military service 138,197; males reach military age (20) annually 10,516 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $154 million, 2.4% of GDP (1993)
THE GAMBIA
@The Gambia:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 11,300 sq km land area: 10,000 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: total 740 km, Senegal 740 km
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 16% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 20% other: 55%
Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent natural hazards: rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last thirty years international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
@The Gambia:People
Population: 989,273 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (female 231,636; male 231,053) 15-64 years: 51% (female 257,329; male 244,947) 65 years and over: 2% (female 11,850; male 12,458) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.08% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 45.97 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 15.19 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 120.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.55 years male: 48.25 years female: 52.92 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.23 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gambian(s) adjective: Gambian
Ethnic divisions: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-Gambian 1%
Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 27% male: 39% female: 16%
Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.) by occupation: agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%
@The Gambia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia conventional short form: The Gambia
Digraph: GA
Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK; The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Constitution: 24 April 1970
Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council Capt. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since the military coup of 22 July 1994); Vice Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council Capt. Edward SINGHATEH (since March 1995); election last held on 29 April 1992; results - Sir Dawda JAWARA (PPP) 58.5%, Sherif Mustapha DIBBA (NCP) 22.2%, Assan Musa CAMARA (GPP) 8.0% (prior to the 22 July 1994 coup, next election was scheduled for April 1997) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the House of Representatives (present cabinet appointed by Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives: elections last held on 29 April 1992 (next to be held April 1997); results - PPP 58.1%; seats - (43 total, 36 elected) PPP 30, NCP 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. JAWARA (in exile), secretary general; National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff DIBBA (in exile); Gambian People's Party (GPP), Hassan Musa CAMARA; United Party (UP), leader NA; People's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), leader NA; People's Democratic Party (PDP), Jabel SALLAH
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Aminatta DIBBA chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399, 1379, 1425 FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew J. WINTER embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971 FAX: [220] 392475
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
@The Gambia:Economy
Overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population is engaged in crop production and livestock raising, which contribute 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufacturing activity - processing peanuts, fish, and hides - accounts for less than 10% of GDP. A sustained structural adjustment program, including a liberalized trade policy, had fostered a respectable 4% rate of growth in recent years. Reexport trade constitutes one-third of economic activity; however, border closures associated with Senegal's monetary crisis in late 1993 led to a halving of reexport trade, reducing government revenues in turn. The 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 has made Senegalese goods more competitive and apparently prompted a relaxation of Senegalese controls, paving the way for a comeback in reexports. But overwhelming these developments were the devastating effects of the military's takeover in July 1994. By October, traffic at the Port of Banjul had fallen precipitously as importers nervously scaled back their activities with the commencement of the anticorruption drive by the new regime. Concerned with the growing potential for serious unrest after a countercoup attempt was bloodily put down by the regime, the United Kingdom and the EU in November issued a travelers advisory for The Gambia, which brought a halt to tourism almost immediately. The Gambia faces additional problems in 1995 if, as is likely, economic sanctions by Western governments remain in effect in response to indications that the military regime intends to stay in power far longer than expected by the donors.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $1,050 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1993)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $94 million expenditures: $89 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (FY92/93 est.)
Exports: $81 million (f.o.b., FY92/93 est.) commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels partners: Japan 60%, Europe 29%, Africa 5%, US 1%, other 5% (1989)
Imports: $154 million (f.o.b., FY92/93 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment partners: Europe 57%, Asia 25%, USSR and Eastern Europe 9%, US 6%, other 3% (1989)
External debt: $286 million (FY92/93 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.7%
Electricity: capacity: 30,000 kW production: 70 million kWh consumption per capita: 64 kWh (1993)
Industries: peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; one-third of food requirements is imported; major export crop is peanuts; other principal crops - millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, palm kernels; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats; forestry and fishing resources not fully exploited
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $93 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $535 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $39 million
Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1 - 9.565 (January 1995), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993), 8.888 (1992), 8.803 (1991), 7.883 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@The Gambia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 3,083 km paved: 431 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 501 km; unimproved earth 2,151 km
Inland waterways: 400 km
Ports: Banjul
Merchant marine: total: 1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,194 GRT/19,394 DWT
Airports: total: 1 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
@The Gambia:Communications
Telephone system: 3,500 telephones; telephone density - 4 telephones/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: adequate network of radio relay and wire international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@The Gambia:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 214,680; males fit for military service 108,659 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $14 million, 3.8% of GDP (FY93/94)
GAZA STRIP
Note—The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, final status negotiations are to begin no later than the beginning of the third year of the transitional period.
@Gaza Strip:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 360 sq km land area: 360 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total 62 km, Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with interim status subject to Israeli/Palestinian negotiations - final status to be determined
International disputes: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with interim status subject to Israeli/Palestinian negotiations - final status to be determined
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 32% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 55%
Irrigated land: 115 sq km (1992 est.)
Environment: current issues: desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA
Note: there are 24 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1994 est.)
@Gaza Strip:People
Population: 813,322 (July 1995 est.) note: in addition, there are 4,800 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1994 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 52% (female 205,192; male 215,158) 15-64 years: 45% (female 185,748; male 183,886) 65 years and over: 3% (female 13,106; male 10,232) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.55% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 50.24 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.75 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 30.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.09 years male: 69.56 years female: 72.69 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.74 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: NA adjective: NA
Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA by occupation: construction 33.4%, agriculture 20.0%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 14.9%, industry 10.0%, other services 21.7% (1991) note: excluding Jewish settlers
@Gaza Strip:Government
Note: Under the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, and subsequently to an elected Palestinian Council, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Final status is to be determined through direct negotiations within five years.
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Digraph: GZ
@Gaza Strip:Economy
Overview: In 1991 roughly 40% of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker remittances supplementing GDP by roughly 50%. Gaza depends upon Israel for nearly 90% of its external trade. Aggravating the impact of Israeli military administration, unrest in the territory since 1988 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and lowered the standard of living of Gazans. The Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks also have dealt blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment has increased, and exports have fallen. The withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in May 1994 brings a new set of adjustment problems.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $2,400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 45% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $33.6 million expenditures: $34.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89/90)
Exports: $83 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: citrus partners: Israel, Egypt
Imports: $365 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials partners: Israel, Egypt
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 11% (1991 est.)
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Industries: generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits; vegetables; beef and dairy products
Economic aid: $240 million disbursed from international aid pledges in 1994
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.0270 (December 1994), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
@Gaza Strip:Transportation
Railroads: total: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports: Gaza
Airports: total: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Gaza Strip:Communications
Telephone system: NA; note - 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.) local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA; note - 95% of Palestinian households have radios (1992 est.)
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA; note - 59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.)
@Gaza Strip:Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
GEORGIA
Note—Georgia has been beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence. In late 1991, the country's first elected president, Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA was ousted in an armed coup. In October 1993, GAMSAKHURDIA, and his supporters sponsored a failed attempt to retake power from the current government led by former Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard SHEVARDNADZE. The Georgian government has also faced armed separatist conflicts in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. A cease-fire went into effect in South Ossetia in June 1992 and a joint Georgian-Ossetian-Russian peacekeeping force has been in place since that time. Georgian forces were driven out of the Abkhaz region in September 1993 after a yearlong war with Abkhaz separatists. Nearly 200,000 Georgian refugees have since fled Abkhazia, adding substantially to the estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons already in Georgia. Russian peacekeepers are deployed along the border of Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia.
@Georgia:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 69,700 sq km land area: 69,700 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline: 310 km
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: none
Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain: largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Natural resources: forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Land use: arable land: 11% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 38% other: 18%
Irrigated land: 4,660 sq km (1990)
Environment: current issues: air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
@Georgia:People
Population: 5,725,972 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (female 674,331; male 707,355) 15-64 years: 64% (female 1,894,681; male 1,791,847) 65 years and over: 12% (female 410,703; male 247,055) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.77% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.77 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.73 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.1 years male: 69.43 years female: 76.95 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Georgian(s) adjective: Georgian
Ethnic divisions: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions: Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian Orthodox 8%, unknown 6%
Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 99% male: 100% female: 98%
Labor force: 2.763 million by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)
@Georgia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Georgia conventional short form: Georgia local long form: Sak'art'velos Respublika local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: GG
Type: republic
Capital: T'bilisi
Administrative divisions: 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia (Sokhumi), Ajaria (Bat'umi) note: the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 May (1991)
Constitution: adopted 21 February 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and popular review by late 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (Chairman of the Government Council since 10 March 1992; elected Chairman of Parliament in 11 October 1992; note - the Government Council has since been disbanded); election last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held October 1995); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 95% head of government: Prime Minister Otar PATSATSIA (since September 1993); Deputy Prime Ministers Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since 25 November 1992), Tamaz NADAREISHVILI (since September 1993), Temur BASILIA (since 17 March 1994), Bakur GULA (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet): elections last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Citizens Union (CU), Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Zurab SHVANIA, general secretary; National Democratic Party (NDP), Georgi (Gia) CHANTURIA, Ivane GIORGADZE; United Republican Party, umbrella organization for parties including the GPF and the Charter 1991 Party, cochairmen Bakhtand DZABIRADZE, Notar NATADZE, and Theodor PAATASHVILI; Georgian Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; Charter 1991 Party, Thedor PAATASHVILI; Georgian Social Democratic Party (GSDP), Guram MUCHAIDZE, secretary general; National Reconstruction and Rebirth of Georgia Union, Valerian ADVADZE; Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Irakli SHENGELAYA; Democratic Georgia Union (DGU), El'dar SHENGELAYA; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakliy TSERETELI, chairman; Georgian Monarchists' Party (GMP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA; Republican Party (RP), Ivliane KHAINDRAVA; Workers' Union of Georgia (WUG), Vakhtang GABUNIA; Agrarian Party of Georgia (APG), Roin LIPARTELIANI; Choice Society (Archevani), Jaba IOSELIANI, chairman; Georgian Workers Communist Party, Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman; National Liberation Front, Tengiz SIGULA, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: supporters of ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) boycotted the October elections and remain a source of opposition
Member of: BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 393-6060, 5959
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Kent N. BROWN embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (8832) 98-99-67, 93-38-03 FAX: [7] (8832) 93-37-59
Flag: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below
@Georgia:Economy
Overview: Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around Black Sea tourism; cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and a small industrial sector producing wine, metals, machinery, chemicals, and textiles. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its only sizable domestic energy resource is hydropower. Since 1990, widespread conflicts, e.g., in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Mingreliya, have severely aggravated the economic crisis resulting from the disintegration of the Soviet command economy in December 1991. Throughout 1993 and 1994, much of industry was functioning at only 20% of capacity; heavy disruptions in agricultural cultivation were reported; and tourism was shut down. The country is precariously dependent on US and EU humanitarian grain shipments, as most other foods are priced beyond reach of the average citizen. Georgia is also suffering from an acute energy crisis, as it is having problems paying for even minimal imports. Georgia is pinning its hopes for recovery on reestablishing trade ties with Russia and on developing international transportation through the key Black Sea ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. The government began a tenuous program in 1994 aiming to stabilize prices and reduce large consumer subsidies.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -30% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,060 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40.5% per month (2nd half 1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: officially less than 5% but real unemployment may be more than 20%, with even larger numbers of underemployed workers
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $NA commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles; chemicals; fuel re-exports partners: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
Imports: $NA commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment partners: Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey (1993); note - EU and US sent humanitarian food shipments
External debt: NA (T'bilisi owes about $400 million to Turkmenistan for natural gas as of January 1995)
Industrial production: growth rate -27% (1993); accounts for 36% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 4,410,000 kW production: 9.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,526 kWh (1993)
Industries: heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, airplanes; machine tools, foundry equipment, electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors, process control equipment, instruments; trucks, tractors, and other farm machinery; light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes; chemicals; wood-working industries; the most important food industry is wine
Agriculture: accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea; important producer of grapes; also cultivates vegetables and potatoes; dependent on imports for grain, dairy products, sugar; small livestock sector
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid: recipient: heavily dependent on US and EU for humanitarian grain shipments; EC granted around $70 million in trade credits in 1992 and another $40 million in 1993; Turkey granted $50 million in 1993; smaller scale credits granted by Russia and China
Currency: coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the lari at undetermined future date; in July 1993 use of the Russian ruble was banned
Exchange rates: coupons per $US1 - 1,280,000 (end December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Georgia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,570 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 1,570 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways: total: 33,900 km paved and graveled: 29,500 km unpaved: earth 4,400 km (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine: total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 419,416 GRT/640,897 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 1, oil tanker 19, short-sea passenger 1
Airports: total: 28 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 6
Note: transportation network is in poor condition and disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair
@Georgia:Communications
Telephone system: 672,000 telephones (mid-1993); 117 telephones/1,000 persons; poor telephone service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (December 1990) local: NA intercity: NA international: links via landline to CIS members and Turkey; low-capacity satellite link and leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch with other countries; international electronic mail and telex service available
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Georgia:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards/National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,385,593; males fit for military service 1,095,835; males reach military age (18) annually 42,207 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $85 million, NA% of GDP (1992)
Note: Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the government's control
GERMANY
@Germany:Geography
Location: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 356,910 sq km land area: 349,520 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana note: includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990
Land boundaries: total 3,621 km, Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline: 2,389 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
Land use: arable land: 34% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 16% forest and woodland: 30% other: 19%
Irrigated land: 4,800 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts (the result of continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; heavy pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
Note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
@Germany:People
Population: 81,337,541 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (female 6,518,108; male 6,857,577) 15-64 years: 68% (female 27,167,824; male 28,130,083) 65 years and over: 16% (female 8,127,938; male 4,536,011) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.26% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 10.98 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.83 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.62 years male: 73.5 years female: 79.92 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: German(s) adjective: German
Ethnic divisions: German 95.1%, Turkish 2.3%, Italians 0.7%, Greeks 0.4%, Poles 0.4%, other 1.1% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in the former Yugoslavia)
Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 37%, unaffiliated or other 18%
Languages: German
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 36.75 million by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 6%, other 53% (1987)
@Germany:Government
Names: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany conventional short form: Germany local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland local short form: Deutschland
Digraph: GM
Type: federal republic
Capital: Berlin note: the shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of years with Bonn retaining many administrative functions and several ministries
Administrative divisions: 16 states (laender, singular - land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen
Independence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 3 October (1990)
Constitution: 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994) head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president upon the proposal of the chancellor
Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the two chambers as a whole) Federal Assembly (Bundestag): last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held by NA 1998); results - CDU 34.2%, SPD 36.4%, Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%, Republicans 1.9% ; seats - (662 total, but number can vary) CDU 244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; elected by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or 3 direct mandates to gain representation Federal Council (Bundesrat): State governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on size and are required to vote as a block; current composition: votes - (68 total) SPD-led states 37, CDU-led states 31
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut KOHL, chairman; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL, chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Klaus KINKEL, chairman; Social Democratic Party (SPD), Rudolf SCHARPING, chairman; Alliance '90/Greens, Krista SAGER, Juergen TRITTIN, cochairpersons; Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), Lothar BISKY, chairman; Republikaner, Rolf SCHLIERER, chairman; National Democratic Party (NPD), Guenter DECKERT; Communist Party (DKP), Rolf PRIEMER
Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and veterans groups
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Juergen CHROBOG chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle consulate(s): Manila (Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands) and Wellington (America Samoa)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN embassy: Deichmanns Aue 29, 53170 Bonn mailing address: Unit 21701, Bonn; APO AE 09080 telephone: [49] (228) 3391 FAX: [49] (228) 339-2663 branch office: Berlin consulate(s) general: Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow
@Germany:Economy
Overview: Five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, progress towards economic integration between eastern and western Germany is clearly visible, yet the eastern region almost certainly will remain dependent on subsidies funded by western Germany until well into the next century. The staggering $390 billion in western German assistance that the eastern states have received since 1990 - 40 times the amount in real terms of US Marshall Fund aid sent to West Germany after World War II - is just beginning to have an impact on the eastern German standard of living, which plummeted after unification. Assistance to the east continues to run at roughly $100 billion annually. Although the growth rate in the east was much greater than in the west in 1993-94, eastern GDP per capita nonetheless remains well below preunification levels; it will take 10-15 years for the eastern states to match western Germany's living standards. The economic recovery in the east is led by the construction industries which account for one-third of industrial output, with growth increasingly supported by the service sectors and light manufacturing industries. Eastern Germany's economy is changing from one anchored on manufacturing to a more service-oriented economy. Western Germany, with three times the per capita output of the eastern states, has an advanced market economy and is a world leader in exports. The strong recovery in 1994 from recession began in the export sector and spread to the investment and consumption sectors in response to falling interest rates. Western Germany has a highly urbanized and skilled population that enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. It is relatively poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. Western Germany's world-class companies manufacture technologically advanced goods. The region's economy is mature: services and manufacturing account for the dominant share of economic activities, and raw materials and semimanufactured goods constitute a large portion of imports.
National product: Germany: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.3446 trillion (1994 est.) western: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.2363 trillion (1994 est.) eastern: GDP - purchasing power parity - $108.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: Germany: 2.9% (1994 est.) western: 2.3% (1994 est.) eastern: 9.2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: Germany: $16,580 (1994 est.) western: $19,660 (1994 est.) eastern: $5,950 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): western: 3% (1994) eastern: 3.2% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: western: 8.2% (December 1994) eastern: 13.5% (December 1994)
Budget: revenues: $690 billion expenditures: $780 billion, including capital expenditures of $96.5 billion (1994)
Exports: $437 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: manufactures 89.3% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 5.5%, raw materials 2.7%, fuels 1.3% (1993) partners: EC 47.9% (France 11.7%, Netherlands 7.4%, Italy 7.5%, UK 7.7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.6%), EFTA 15.5%, US 7.7%, Eastern Europe 5.2%, OPEC 3.0% (1993)
Imports: $362 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: manufactures 75.1%, agricultural products 10.0%, fuels 8.3%, raw materials 5.0% (1993) partners: EC 46.4% (France 11.3%, Netherlands 8.4%, Italy 8.1%, UK 6.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 5.7%), EFTA 14.3%, US 7.3%, Japan 6.3%, Eastern Europe 5.1%, OPEC 2.6% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: western: growth rate 2.8% (1994) eastern: growth rate $NA
Electricity: capacity: 115,430,000 kW production: 493 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,683 kWh (1993)
Industries: western: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages eastern: metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining
Agriculture: western: accounts for about 1% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food eastern: accounts for about 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops - wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; net importer of food
Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine for West European markets
Economic aid: western-donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.5 billion eastern-donor: bilateral to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-89) $4 billion
Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1 - 1.5313 (January 1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Germany:Transportation
Railroads: total: 43,457 km standard gauge: 43,190 km (electrified 16,694 km) narrow gauge: 267 km (1994)
Highways: total: 636,282 km paved: 501,282 km (10,955 km of autobahn) unpaved: 135,000 km (1991)
Inland waterways: western: 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea eastern: 2,319 km (1988)
Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km; natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
Ports: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Lubeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart
Merchant marine: total: 481 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,065,074 GRT/6,409,198 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 6, bulk 8, cargo 224, chemical tanker 16, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 5, container 158, liquefied gas tanker 13, oil tanker 10, passenger 3, railcar carrier 4, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 18, short-sea passenger 5
note: the German register includes ships of the former East and West Germany
Airports: total: 660 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 13 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 64 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 68 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 53 with paved runways under 914 m: 381 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 62
@Germany:Communications
Telephone system: western: 40,300,000 telephones; highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country; fully adequate in all respects; intensively developed, highly redundant cable and microwave radio relay networks, all completely automatic local: very modern intercity: domestic satellite, microwave radio relay, and cable systems international: 12 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean), 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean), and 1 EUTELSAT earth station; 2 HF radiocommunication centers; tropospheric scatter links eastern: 3,970,000 telephones; badly needs modernization local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT earth station and 1 Intersputnik system
Radio: western: NA broadcast stations: AM 80, FM 470, shortwave 0 radios: NA eastern: NA broadcast stations: AM 23, FM 17, shortwave 0 radios: 67 million
Television: broadcast stations: 246 (repeaters 6,000); note - there are 15 Russian repeaters in eastern Germany televisions: 25 million in western Germany, 6 million in eastern Germany
@Germany:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm), Air Force, Border Police, Coast Guard
Manpower availability: males 15-49 20,274,127; males fit for military service 17,472,940; males reach military age (18) annually 428,082 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $40 billion, 1.8% of GNP (1995)
GHANA
@Ghana:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 238,540 sq km land area: 230,020 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total 2,093 km, Burkina 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 7% meadows and pastures: 15% forest and woodland: 37% other: 36%
Irrigated land: 80 sq km (1989)
Environment: current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
Note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
@Ghana:People
Population: 17,763,138 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (female 4,030,154; male 4,069,945) 15-64 years: 51% (female 4,638,451; male 4,494,533) 65 years and over: 3% (female 276,186; male 253,869) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.06% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 43.57 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 12.02 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 81.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.85 years male: 53.88 years female: 57.88 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.09 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic divisions: black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 60% male: 70% female: 51%
Labor force: 3.7 million by occupation: agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%
@Ghana:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast
Digraph: GH
Type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Accra
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution: new constitution approved 28 April 1992
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992) election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held November 1996); results - opposition boycotted the election, the National Democratic Congress won 198 of the total 200 seats and 2 seats were won by independents cabinet: Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held December 1996); results - opposition boycotted the election; the National Democratic Congress won 198 0f 200 total seats and independents won 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress, Jerry John RAWLINGS; New Patriotic Party, Albert Adu BOAHEN; People's Heritage Party, Alex ERSKINE; various other smaller parties
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN (scheduled to leave in June 1995) embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775348, 775349, 775297, 775298 FAX: [233] (21) 776008
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
@Ghana:Economy
Overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana is relatively well off, having twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Heavily reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1994, due largely to increased gold, timber, and cocoa production - major sources of foreign exchange. The economy, however, continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 45% of GDP and employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Public sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have placed substantial demands on the government's budget and have led to inflationary deficit financing and a 27% depreciation of the cedi in 1994.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,310 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1991)
Budget: revenues: $1.05 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1993)
Exports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum partners: Germany 31%, US 12%, UK 11%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment partners: UK 22%, US 11%, Germany 9%, Japan 6%
External debt: $4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.4% in manufacturing (1993); accounts for almost 15% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 1,180,000 kW production: 6.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 323 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for almost 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops - rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin destined for Europe and the US
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89) $106 million
Currency: 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1 - 1,046.74 (December 1994), 936.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991), 326.33 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Ghana:Transportation
Railroads: total: 953 km; note - undergoing major renovation narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track)
Highways: total: 32,250 km paved: concrete, bituminous 6,084 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 26,166 km
Inland waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Pipelines: none
Ports: Takoradi, Tema
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,427 GRT/35,894 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports: total: 12 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Ghana:Communications
Telephone system: 42,300 telephones; poor to fair system; telephone density - 2.4/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: primarily microwave radio relay international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 4 (translators 8) televisions: NA
@Ghana:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Palace Guard, Civil Defense
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 3,975,767; males fit for military service 2,217,032; males reach military age (18) annually 170,723 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $108 million, 1.5% of GDP (1993)
GIBRALTAR
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Gibraltar:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 6.5 sq km land area: 6.5 sq km comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total 1.2 km, Spain 1.2 km
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm
International disputes: source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK
Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, so large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA
Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
@Gibraltar:People
Population: 31,874 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (female 3,757; male 3,835) 15-64 years: 63% (female 9,730; male 10,485) 65 years and over: 13% (female 2,360; male 1,707) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.62% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.85 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.61 years male: 73.7 years female: 79.48 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar
Ethnic divisions: Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) note: UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
@Gibraltar:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar
Digraph: GI
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Gilbraltar
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)
Constitution: 30 May 1969
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Gen. Sir John CHAPPLE (since NA March 1993) head of government: Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March 1988) Gibraltar Council: advises the governor cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed from the elected members of the Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly: elections last held on 16 January 1992 (next to be held January 1996); results - SL 73.3%; seats - (18 total, 15 elected) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), leader NA; Gibraltar Social Democrats, Peter CARUANA; Gibraltar National Party, Joe GARCIA
Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association; Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization
Member of: INTERPOL (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
@Gibraltar:Economy
Overview: Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade and offshore banking. The British military presence has been severely reduced and now only contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 15% of GDP; tourism, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $205 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $6,600 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $116 million expenditures: $124 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992-93)
Exports: $57 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: (principally re-exports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% partners: UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Imports: $420 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
External debt: $318 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 47,000 kW production: 90 million kWh consumption per capita: 2,539 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish
Agriculture: none
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $800,000; Western (non-US) countries and ODA bilateral commitments (1992-93), $2.5 million
Currency: 1 Gibraltar pound (#G) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (#G) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Gibraltar:Transportation
Railroads: total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only
Highways: total: 50 km paved: 50 km
Pipelines: none
Ports: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 419,707 GRT/721,110 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 2, oil tanker 14
Airports: total: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
@Gibraltar:Communications
Telephone system: 9,400 telephones; adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international radiocommunication and microwave facilities local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 4 televisions: NA
@Gibraltar:Defense Forces
Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
GLORIOSO ISLANDS
(possession of France)
@Glorioso Islands:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Madagascar
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 5 sq km land area: 5 sq km comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC note: includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: NA
Natural resources: guano, coconuts
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: periodic cyclones international agreements: NA
@Glorioso Islands:People
Population: uninhabited
@Glorioso Islands:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Glorioso Islands local long form: none local short form: Iles Glorieuses
Digraph: GO
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
@Glorioso Islands:Economy
Overview: no economic activity
@Glorioso Islands:Transportation
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: total: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Glorioso Islands:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
GREECE
@Greece:Geography
Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 131,940 sq km land area: 130,800 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries: total 1,210 km, Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km
Coastline: 13,676 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 nm
International disputes: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; dispute with The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over name, symbols, and certain constitutional provisions; Greece is involved in a bilateral dispute with Albania over border demarcation, the treatment of Albania's ethnic Greek minority, and migrant Albanian workers in Greece
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble
Land use: arable land: 23% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 20% other: 9%
Irrigated land: 11,900 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: air pollution; water pollution natural hazards: severe earthquakes international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
@Greece:People
Population: 10,647,511 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (female 904,374; male 947,494) 15-64 years: 67% (female 3,601,029; male 3,565,931) 65 years and over: 15% (female 919,044; male 709,639) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.72% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 10.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.92 years male: 75.39 years female: 80.59 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek
Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages: Greek (official), English, French
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 95% male: 98% female: 93%
Labor force: 4.077 million by occupation: services 52%, agriculture 23%, industry 25% (1994)
@Greece:Government
Names: conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas former: Kingdom of Greece
Digraph: GR
Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
Capital: Athens
Administrative divisions: 52 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Dhrama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Piraievs, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos, autonomous region: Agion Oros (Mt. Athos)
Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence)
Constitution: 11 June 1975
Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Konstantinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995) election last held 10 March 1995 (next to be held by NA 2000); results - Konstantinos STEPHANOPOULOS was elected by Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister Andreas PAPANDREOU (since 10 October 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon): elections last held 10 October 1993 (next to be held by NA October 1997); results - PASOK 46.88%, ND 39.30%, Political Spring 4.87%, KKE 4.54%, and Progressive Left (replaced by Coalition of the Left and Progress) 2.94%; seats - (300 total) PASOK 170, ND 111, Political Spring 10, KKE 9
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court, Special Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders: New Democracy (ND; conservative), Miltiades EVERT; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU; Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA; Ecologist-Alternative List, leader rotates; Political Spring, Antonis SAMARAS; Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos), Nikolaos KONSTANTOPOULOS
Member of: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, FAO, G- 6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Loucas TSILAS chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 939-5824 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): New Orleans |
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