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Highways: total: 367,000 km (excluding farm, factory and forest roads) paved: 235,247 km (257 km of which are limited access expressways) unpaved: 131,753 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 3,997 km navigable rivers and canals (1991)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,986 km; petroleum products 360 km; natural gas 4,600 km (1992)
Ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wrocaw
Merchant marine: total: 152 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,186,405 GRT/3,270,914 DWT ships by type: bulk 89, cargo 38, chemical tanker 4, container 7, oil tanker 1, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8, short-sea passenger 4
note: in addition, Poland owns 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 76,501 DWT that operate under Bahamian, Liberian, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Panamanian, and Cypriot registry
Airports: total: 134 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 7 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 10 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 32 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 18
@Poland:Communications
Telephone system: 4.9 million telephones; 12.7 phones/100 residents (1994); severely underdeveloped and outmoded system; exchanges are 86% automatic (1991) local: NA intercity: cable, open wire, and microwave international: INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 27, FM 27, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 40 (Russian repeaters 5) televisions: 9.6 million
@Poland:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,181,069; males fit for military service 7,940,634; males reach military age (19) annually 323,133 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 50.7 billion zlotych, NA% of GNP (1994 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
PORTUGAL
@Portugal:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 92,080 sq km land area: 91,640 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Land boundaries: total 1,214 km, Spain 1,214 km
Coastline: 1,793 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: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
Land use: arable land: 32% permanent crops: 6% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 40% other: 16%
Irrigated land: 6,340 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
@Portugal:People
Population: 10,562,388 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (female 943,412; male 1,000,971) 15-64 years: 68% (female 3,625,086; male 3,499,176) 65 years and over: 14% (female 889,142; male 604,601) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.36% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 11.72 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.65 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.53 years male: 72.11 years female: 79.16 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
Languages: Portuguese
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 85% male: 89% female: 82%
Labor force: 4.24 million (1994 est.) by occupation: services 54.5%, manufacturing 24.4%, agriculture, forestry, fisheries 11.2%, construction 8.3%, utilites 1.0%, mining 0.5% (1992)
@Portugal:Government
Names: conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal
Digraph: PO
Type: republic
Capital: Lisbon
Administrative divisions: 18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Dependent areas: Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 20 December 1999)
Independence: 1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)
Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986); election last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - Dr. Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos MARQUES 3%; note - SOARES is finishing his second term and by law cannot run for a third consecutive term head of government: Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985); note - will be replaced in the October 1995 elections Council of State: acts as a consultative body to the president cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica): elections last held 6 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - PSD 50.4%, PS 29.3%, CDU 8.8%, CDS 4.4%, PSN 1.7%, PRD 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats - (230 total) PSD 136, PS 71, CDU 17, CDS 5, PSN 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Fernando NOGUEIRA; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Antonio GUTERRES; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Pedro CANAVARRO; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Carlos CARVALHAS; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Manuel MONTEIRO; National Solidarity Party (PSN), Manuel SERGIO; Center Democratic Party (CDS); United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists)
Member of: AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Jose Laco Treichler KNOPFLI chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island), and Washington, DC
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley BAGLEY embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, Lisbon; APO AE 09726 telephone: [351] (1) 7266600, 7266659, 7268670, 7268880 FAX: [351] (1) 7269109 consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
@Portugal:Economy
Overview: Portugal's economy contracted 0.4% in 1993 but registered a 1.4% growth in 1994, with 3% growth expected in 1995 and 1996. This comeback rests on high levels of public investment, continuing strong export growth, and a gradual recovery in consumer spending. The government's long-run economic goal is the modernization of Portuguese markets, industry, infrastructure, and work force in order to catch up with productivity and income levels of the more advanced EU countries. Per capita income now equals only 55% of the EU average. Economic policy in 1994 focused on reducing inflationary pressures by lowering the fiscal deficit, maintaining a stable escudo, moderating wage increases, and encouraging increased competition. The government's medium-term objective is to be in the first tier of the EU countries eligible to join the economic and monetary union (EMU) as early as 1997. To this end, the 1995 budget posits a cut in total deficit to 5.8% of GDP.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $107.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $10,190 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.1% (May 1994)
Unemployment rate: 6.7% (May 1994)
Budget: revenues: $31 billion expenditures: $41 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)
Exports: $15.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: clothing and footwear, machinery, cork and paper products, hides and skins partners: EU 75.5%, other developed countries 12.4%, US 4.3% (1994)
Imports: $24.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, petroleum, textiles partners: EC 72%, other developed countries 10.9%, less developed countries 12.9%, US 3.4%
External debt: $20 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% (1994 est.); accounts for 30.6% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 8,220,000 kW production: 29.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,642 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP; small, inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops - grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector - sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
Illicit drugs: increasingly important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.2 billion
Currency: 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 158.02 (January 1995), 165.99 (1994), 160.80 (1993), 135.00 (1992), 144.48 (1991), 142.55 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Portugal:Transportation
Railroads: total: 3,068 km broad gauge: 2,761 km 1.668-m gauge (439 km electrified; 426 km double track) narrow gauge: 307 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 70,176 km paved and graveled: 60,351 km (519 km of expressways) unpaved: earth 9,825 km
Inland waterways: 820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity
Pipelines: crude oil 22 km; petroleum products 58 km
Ports: Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
Merchant marine: total: 65 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 852,785 GRT/1,545,804 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 28, chemical tanker 5, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1 note: Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira for Portuguese-owned ships; ships on the Madeira Register (MAR) will have taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; in addition, Portugal owns 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 155,776 DWT that operate under Panamanian and Maltese registry
Airports: total: 65 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 18 with paved runways under 914 m: 29 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Portugal:Communications
Telephone system: 2,690,000 telephones local: NA intercity: generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire and microwave radio relay, domestic satellite earth stations
international: 6 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT earth stations; tropospheric link to Azores
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 57, FM 66 (repeaters 22), shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 66 (repeaters 23) televisions: NA
@Portugal:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,747,357; males fit for military service 2,223,299; males reach military age (20) annually 90,402 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1994)
PUERTO RICO
(commonwealth associated with the US)
@Puerto Rico:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 9,104 sq km land area: 8,959 sq km comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Natural resources: some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 41% forest and woodland: 20% other: 22%
Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: the recent drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and prompted water rationing for more than one-half of the population natural hazards: periodic droughts international agreements: NA
Note: important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
@Puerto Rico:People
Population: 3,812,569 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25% (female 466,596; male 489,127) 15-64 years: 65% (female 1,274,765; male 1,195,785) 65 years and over: 10% (female 213,716; male 172,580) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.16% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.1 years male: 70.78 years female: 79.66 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions: Hispanic
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages: Spanish, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88%
Labor force: 1.2 million (1993) by occupation: government 22%, manufacturing 17%, trade 20%, construction 6%, communications and transportation 5%, other 30% (1993)
@Puerto Rico:Government
Names: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Digraph: RQ
Type: commonwealth associated with the US
Capital: San Juan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US); note - there are 78 municipalities
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
National holiday: US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
Legal system: based on Spanish civil code
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch: chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since 2 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - Pedro ROSSELLO (PNP) 50%, Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%, Fernando MARTIN (PIP) 4%
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly Senate: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (29 total) PNP 20, PPD 8, PIP 1 House of Representatives: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) PNP 36, PPD 16, PIP 1 US House of Representatives: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) PNP 1 (Carlos Romero BARCELO); note - Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Superior Courts, Municipal Courts
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Luis FERRE; Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Hector ACEVEDO; New Progressive Party (PNP), Pedro ROSSELLO; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) has been disbanded (1994); Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown
Other political or pressure groups: Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Armed Forces of Popular Resistance
Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
US diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag
@Puerto Rico:Economy
Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Important industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3.9 million tourists in 1993.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $26.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $7,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $5.1 billion expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)
Exports: $21.8 billion (1994) commodities: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments partners: US 86.2% (1993)
Imports: $16.7 billion (1994) commodities: chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products partners: US 69.2% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 4.230,000 kW production: 15.6 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,819 kWh (1993)
Industries: manufacturing accounts for 39.4% of GDP; manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for only 3% of labor force and just over 1% of GDP; crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1993)
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Puerto Rico:Transportation
Railroads: total: 96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; note - no passenger railroads
Highways: total: 13,762 km paved: 13,762 km (1982)
Ports: Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 31 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9 with paved runways under 914 m: 14 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Puerto Rico:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; modern system, integrated with that of the US by high capacity submarine cable and INTELSAT with high-speed data capability; digital telephone system with about 1 million lines; cellular telephone service (1990) local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT earth station and submarine cable
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 50, FM 63, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 9; note - cable television available with US programs (1990) televisions: NA
@Puerto Rico:Defense Forces
Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
QATAR
@Qatar:Geography
Location: Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 11,000 sq km land area: 11,000 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: total 60 km, Saudi Arabia 60 km
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Bahrain
Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 0% other: 95%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
@Qatar:People
Population: 533,916 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (female 81,443; male 80,591) 15-64 years: 68% (female 104,921; male 258,135) 65 years and over: 2% (female 2,941; male 5,885) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.74% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.72 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 3.59 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 8.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.03 years male: 70.45 years female: 75.5 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.63 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari
Ethnic divisions: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions: Muslim 95%
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 76% male: 77% female: 72%
Labor force: NA
@Qatar:Government
Names: conventional long form: State of Qatar conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar
Digraph: QA
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Salal
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970
Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: Amir and Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani (since 22 February 1972); Crown Prince HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir and Minister of Defense) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the amir
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura): constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held; seats - (30 total)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: none
Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador ABD AL-RAHMAN bin Saud bin Fahd Al Thani chancery: Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 338-0111
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Kenton W. KEITH embassy: 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 864701 through 864703 FAX: [974] 861669
Flag: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
@Qatar:Economy
Overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 75% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about 25 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to the leading West European industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of off-shore oil and the diversification of the economy.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $10.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -1% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $20,820 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $440 million (1992 est.)
Exports: $3.13 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum products 75%, steel, fertilizers partners: Japan 57%, South Korea 9%, Brazil 4%, UAE 4%, Singapore 3% (1992)
Imports: $1.75 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals partners: Japan 16%, UK 11%, US 11%, Germany 7%, France 5% (1992)
External debt: $1.5 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: accounts for 50% of GDP, including oil
Electricity: capacity: 1,520,000 kW production: 4.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,415 kWh (1993)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel (rolls reinforcing bars for concrete construction), cement
Agriculture: farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; agricultural area is small and government-owned; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported
Economic aid: donor: pledged in ODA to less developed countries (1979-88), $2.7 billion
Currency: 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams
Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1 - 3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Qatar:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,190 km paved: 1,030 km unpaved: 160 km (1988 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km
Ports: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id
Merchant marine: total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 463,227 GRT/763,507 DWT ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, container 3, cargo 11, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports: total: 6 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
@Qatar:Communications
Telephone system: 110,000 telephones; modern system centered in Doha local: NA intercity: NA international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 3 televisions: NA
@Qatar:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 219,442; males fit for military service 115,103; males reach military age (18) annually 3,915 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA%, of GDP
REUNION
(overseas department of France)
@Reunion:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references: World
Area: total area: 2,510 sq km land area: 2,500 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 201 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 35% other: 39%
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano international agreements: NA
@Reunion:People
Population: 666,067 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (female 104,924; male 109,972) 15-64 years: 62% (female 210,762; male 203,774) 65 years and over: 6% (female 21,606; male 15,029) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.98% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.59 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.46 years male: 71.39 years female: 77.67 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Ethnic divisions: French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Religions: Roman Catholic 94%
Languages: French (official), Creole widely used
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80%
Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981)
@Reunion:Government
Names: conventional long form: Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion
Digraph: RE
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Saint-Denis
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Prefect of Reunion Island Hubert FOURNIER (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council General Council: elections last held March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7 Regional Council: elections last held 25 June 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (45 total) UPF 17, Free-Dom Movement 13, PCR 9, PS 6 French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (3 total) RPR 1, FRA 1, independent 1 French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (5 total) PS 1, PCR 1, UPF 1, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alain DEFAUD; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert GERARD; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR), Elie HOARAU;; France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre THIEN AH KOON; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude FRUTEAU; Social Democrats (CDS), leader NA; Union for France (UPF - including RPR and UDF); Free-Dom Movement, Marguerite SUDRE
Member of: FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas department of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas department of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@Reunion:Economy
Overview: The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The government has been pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve high unemployment, which recently amounted to one-third of the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the poor is extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social tensions. The white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the population, often approaching European standards, whereas indigenous groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent. The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $3,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 35% (February 1991)
Budget: revenues: $358 million expenditures: $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986 est.)
Exports: $166 million (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, lobster 3%, vanilla and tea 1% partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; about 25% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 180,000 kW production: 1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,454 kWh (1993)
Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of labor force; dominant sector of economy; cash crops - sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food crops - tropical fruits, vegetables, corn; imports large share of food needs
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $14.8 billion
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Reunion:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,800 km paved: 2,200 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 600 km
Ports: Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Reunion:Communications
Telephone system: 85,900 telephones; adequate system; principal center Saint-Denis local: NA intercity: modern open-wire and microwave network international: radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 13, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 (repeaters 18) televisions: NA
@Reunion:Defense Forces
Branches: French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 173,693; males fit for military service 89,438; males reach military age (18) annually 5,781 (1995 est.)
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
ROMANIA
@Romania:Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area: total area: 237,500 sq km land area: 230,340 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total 2,508 km, Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km (all with Serbia), Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (south) 169 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine - including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Terrain: central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt
Land use: arable land: 43% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 19% forest and woodland: 28% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 34,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands natural hazards: earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
@Romania:People
Population: 23,198,330 (July 1995 est.) note: the Romanian census of January 1992 gives the population for that date as 22.749 million; the government estimates that population declined in 1993 by 0.3%
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (female 2,413,933; male 2,534,019) 15-64 years: 67% (female 7,737,531; male 7,732,038) 65 years and over: 12% (female 1,604,210; male 1,176,599) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.93 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.24 years male: 69.31 years female: 75.35 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Romanian(s) adjective: Romanian
Ethnic divisions: Romanian 89.1%, Hungarian 8.9%, German 0.4%, Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%
Religions: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate), Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18%
Languages: Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992) total population: 97% male: 98% female: 95%
Labor force: 11.3 million (1992) by occupation: industry 38%, agriculture 28%, other 34% (1989)
@Romania:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Romania local long form: none local short form: Romania
Digraph: RO
Type: republic
Capital: Bucharest
Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence: 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)
National holiday: National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)
Constitution: 8 December 1991
Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory; is now based on the Constitution of France's Fifth Republic
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990, previously President of Provisional Council of National Unity since 23 December 1989); election last held 27 September 1992, with runoff between top two candidates on 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Ion ILIESCU 61.4%, Emil CONSTANTINESCU 38.6% head of government: Prime Minister Nicolae VACAROIU (since November 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate (Senat): elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - PSDR 34.3%, CDR 18.2%, DP-FSN 12.6%, others 34.9%; seats - (143 total) PSDR 49, CDR 26, DP-FSN 18, PUNR 13, UDMR 12, PRM 6, PAC 6, PDAR 5, PSM 5, PL-93 2 other 1 House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor): elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - PSDR 34.0%, CDR 16,4%, DP-FSN 12.3%, others 37.3%; seats - (341 total) PSDR 116, CDR 56, DP-FSN 42, PUNR 29, UDMR 27, PL-93 19, PRM 15, PSM 13, PAC 5, other 19
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (DP-FSN), Petre ROMAN; Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSDR), Adrian NASTASE; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Bela MARKO; National Liberal Party (PNL), Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS; National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party (PNTCD), Corneliu COPOSU; Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR), Gheorghe FUNAR; Socialist Labor Party (PSM), Ilie VERDET; Agrarian Democratic Party of Romania (PDAR), Victor SURDU; The Democratic Convention (CDR), Emil CONSTANTINESCU; Romania Mare Party (PRM), Corneliu Vadim TUDOR; Civic Alliance Party (PAC), Nicolae MANOLESCU, chairman note: numerous other small parties exist but almost all failed to gain representation in the most recent election
Other political or pressure groups: various human rights and professional associations
Member of: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI (associate members), EBRD, ECE, FAO, G- 9, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mihai Horia BOTEZ chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred H. MOSES embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address: American Consulate General (Bucharest), Unit 1315, Bucharest; APO AE 09213-1315 telephone: [40] (1) 210 01 49, 210 40 42 FAX: [40] (1) 210 03 95 branch office: Cluj-Napoca
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad
@Romania:Economy
Overview: Despite the continuing difficulties in moving away from the former command system, the Romanian economy seems to have bottomed out in 1993-94. Market oriented reforms have been introduced fitfully since the downfall of CEAUSESCU in December 1989, with the result a growing private sector, especially in services. The slow pace of structural reform, however, has exacerbated Romania's high inflation rate and eroded real wages. Agricultural production rebounded in 1993 from the drought-reduced harvest of 1992. The economy continued its recovery in 1994, further gains being realized in agriculture, construction, services, and trade. Food supplies are adequate but expensive. Romania's infrastructure had deteriorated over the last five years due to reduced levels of public investment. Residents of the capital reported frequent disruptions of heating and water services. The slow and painful process of conversion to a more open economy will continue in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $64.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,790 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 62% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 10.9% (December 1994)
Budget: revenues: $8.3 billion expenditures: $9.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Exports: $6 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: metals and metal products 17.6%, mineral products 11.9%, textiles 18.5%, electric machines and equipment 8.4%, transport materials 6.5% (1994) partners: EC 36.1%, developing countries 27.4%, East and Central Europe 14.9%, EFTA 5.1%, Russia 5%, Japan 1.4%, US 1.3% (1993)
Imports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: minerals 21.1%, machinery and equipment 19.7%, textiles 11.5%, agricultural goods 9.2% (1994) partners: EC 45.8%, East and Central Europe 8.6%, developing countries 22.6%, Russia 11%, EFTA 6.2%, US 5.0%, Japan 0.8% (1993)
External debt: $4.4 billion (1994)
Industrial production: growth rate -1% (1993 est.); accounts for 45% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 22,180,000 kW production: 50.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,076 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining
Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and 28% of labor force; major wheat and corn producer; other products - sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine transiting the Balkan route
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1 - 1,776.00 (January 1995), 1,655.09 (1994), 760.05 (1993), 307.95 (1992), 76.39 (1991), 22.432 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Romania:Transportation
Railroads: total: 11,365 km broad gauge: 45 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 10,893 km 1.435-m gauge (3,723 km electrified; 3,060 km double track) narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 461,880 km paved: 235,559 km (113 km of expressways) unpaved: 226,321 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)
Ports: Braila, Constanta, Galatz, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea
Merchant marine: total: 238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,528,971 GRT/3,849,943 DWT ships by type: bulk 46, cargo 167, container 2, oil tanker 14, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7 note: in addition, Romania owns 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,207,388 DWT that operate under Liberian, Maltese, Cypriot, and Bahamian registry
Airports: total: 156 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 17 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 108
@Romania:Communications
Telephone system: about 2.3 million telephones; 99 telephones/1,000 persons; 89% of phone network is automatic; poor service; cable and open wire local: NA intercity: trunk network is microwave; roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990) international: 1 INTELSAT earth station; new digital international direct dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993)
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 13 (1990) televisions: NA
@Romania:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 5,934,524; males fit for military service 5,002,287; males reach military age (20) annually 196,587 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 1,260 billion lei, 3% of GDP (1994); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
RUSSIA
@Russia:Geography
Location: Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean
Map references: Asia
Area: total area: 17,075,200 sq km land area: 16,995,800 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries: total 20,139 km, Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 167 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Coastline: 37,653 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: inherited disputes from former USSR including: sections of the boundary with China; islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; maritime dispute with Norway over portion of the Barents Sea; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined; potential dispute with Ukraine over Crimea; Estonia claims over 2,000 sq km of Russian territory in the Narva and Pechora regions; the Abrene section of the border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation
Climate: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions
Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: NEGL% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 45% other: 42%
Irrigated land: 56,000 sq km (1992)
Environment: current issues: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Note: largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture
@Russia:People
Population: 149,909,089 (July 1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put the population at 148,200,000 for 1994
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (female 16,208,640; male 16,784,017) 15-64 years: 66% (female 50,711,209; male 48,247,101) 65 years and over: 12% (female 12,557,447; male 5,400,675) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.2% (1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put the population growth rate at -6.0% for 1994
Birth rate: 12.64 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put the birth rate at 9.5 births per l,000 population for 1994
Death rate: 11.36 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put the death rate at 15.5 deaths per l,000 population in 1994
Net migration rate: 0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put the infant mortality rate at 19.9 deaths per l,000 live births in 1994
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.1 years male: 64.1 years female: 74.35 years (1995 est.) note: official Russian statistics put life expectancy at birth as 64 years for total population in 1994
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian
Ethnic divisions: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Byelorussian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Languages: Russian, other
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 98% male: 100% female: 97%
Labor force: 85 million (1993) by occupation: production and economic services 83.9%, government 16.1%
@Russia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Russian Federation conventional short form: Russia local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya local short form: Rossiya former: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Digraph: RS
Type: federation
Capital: Moscow
Administrative divisions: 21 autonomous republics (avtomnykh respublik, singular - avtomnaya respublika); Adygea (Maykop), Bashkortostan (Ufa), Buryatia (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashia (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Gorno-Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Ingushetia (Nazran'), Kabardino-Balkaria (Nal'chik), Kalmykia (Elista), Karachay-Cherkessia (Cherkessk), Karelia (Petrozavodsk), Khakassia (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola), Mordovia (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tuva (Kyzyl), Udmurtia (Izhevsk), Yakutia - also known as Sakha (Yakutsk); 49 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast'); Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod, Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orel, Orenburg, Penza, Perm', Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Yaroslavl'; 6 krays (krayev, singular - kray); Altay (Barnaul), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Primorskiy (Vladivostok), Stavropol'; 10 autonomous okrugs; Aga (Aginskoye), Chukotka (Anadyr'), Evenkia (Tura), Khantia-Mansia (Khanty-Mansiysk), Koryakia (Palana), Nenetsia (Nar'yan-Mar), Permyakia (Kudymkar), Taymyria (Dudinka), Ust'-Onda (Ust'-Ordynskiy), Yamalia (Salekhard); 1 autonomous oblast (avtomnykh oblast'); Birobijan note: the autonomous republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia were formerly the autonomous republic of Checheno-Ingushetia (the boundary between Chechenia and Ingushetia has yet to be determined); the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg are federal cities; an administrative division has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, June 12 (1990)
Constitution: adopted 12 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Boris Nikolayevich YEL'TSIN (since 12 June 1991); election last held 12 June 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; note - no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier succeeds him; the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months head of government: Premier and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Viktor Stepanovich CHERNOMYRDIN (since 14 December 1992); First Deputy Chairmen of the Council of Ministers Oleg SOSKOVETS (since 30 April 1993) and Anatoliy CHUBAYS (since 5 November 1994) Security Council: originally established as a presidential advisory body in June 1991, but restructured in March 1992 with responsibility for managing individual and state security Presidential Administration: drafts presidential edicts and provides staff and policy support to the entire executive branch cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Group of Assistants: schedules president's appointments, processes presidential edicts and other official documents, and houses the president's press service and primary speechwriters Council of Heads of Republics: includes the leaders of the 21 ethnic-based Republics Council of Heads of Administrations: includes the leaders of the 66 autonomous territories and regions, and the mayors of Moscow and St. Petersburg Presidential Council: prepares policy papers for the president
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly Federation Council: elections last held 12 December 1993 (next to be held NA); results - two members elected from each of Russia's 89 territorial units for a total of 176 deputies; 2 seats unfilled as of 15 May 1994 (Chechnya did not participate in the election); Speaker Vladimir SHUMEYKO (Russia's Democratic Choice) State Duma: elections last held 12 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (450 total) Russia's Democratic Choice 78, New Regional Policy 66, Liberal Democrats 63, Agrarian Party 55, Communist Party of the Russian Federation 45, Unity and Accord 30, Yavlinskiy-Boldyrev-Lukin Bloc (Yabloko) 27, Women of Russia 23, Democratic Party of Russia 15, Russia's Path 12, other parties 23, affiliation unknown 12, unfilled (as of 13 March 1994; Chechnya did not participate in the election) 1; Speaker Ivan RYBKIN (Agrarian Party); note - as of 11 April 1995, seats were as follows: Russia's Democratic Choice 54, New Regional Policy 32, Liberal Democrats 54, Agrarian Party 51, Communist Party of the Russian Federation 45, Unity and Accord 25, Yavlinskiy-Boldyrev-Lukin Bloc (Yabloko) 28, Liberal Democratic Union of 12 December 9, Women of Russia 22, Democratic Party of Russia 10, Russia's Path 12, Duma 96 23, Russia 35, Stability 36, affiliation unknown 14
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (highest court for criminal, civil, and administrative cases), Superior Court of Arbitration (highest court that resolves economic disputes)
Political parties and leaders: pro-market democrats: Party of Russian Unity and Accord, Sergey SHAKHRAY; Russia's Democratic Choice Party, Yegor GAYDAR; Russian Movement for Democratic Reforms, Anatoliy SOBCHAK; Yavlinskiy-Boldyrev-Lukin Bloc (Yabloko), Grigoriy YAVLINSKIY; Liberal Democratic Union of 12 December, Boris FEDOROV centrists/special interest parties: Civic Union for Stability, Justice, and Progress, Arkadiy VOL'SKIY; Democratic Party of Russia, Sergey GLAZ'YEV; Women of Russia, Alevtina FEDULOVA; Social Democratic Peoples' Party, Vasiliy LIPITSKIY; New Regional Policy (NRP), Vladimir MEDVEDEV anti-market and/or ultranationalist parties: Agrarian Party, Mikhail LAPSHIN; Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY; Derzhava, Aleksandr RUTSKOY note: more than 20 political parties and associations tried to gather enough signatures to run slates of candidates in the 12 December 1993 legislative elections, but only 13 succeeded
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: BSEC, CBSS, CCC, CE (guest), CERN (observer), CIS, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NACC, NSG, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey LAVROV chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700 through 5704 FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING embassy: Novinskiy Bul'var 19/23, Moscow mailing address: APO AE 09721 telephone: [7] (095) 252-24-51 through 59 FAX: [7] (095) 956-42-61 consulate(s) general: St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
@Russia:Economy
Overview: Russia, a vast country with a wealth of natural resources, a well-educated population, and a diverse industrial base, continues to experience formidable difficulties in moving from its old centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. President YEL'TSIN's government has made substantial strides in converting to a market economy since launching its economic reform program in January 1992 by freeing nearly all prices, slashing defense spending, eliminating the old centralized distribution system, completing an ambitious voucher privatization program, establishing private financial institutions, and decentralizing foreign trade. Russia, however, has made little progress in a number of key areas that are needed to provide a solid foundation for the transition to a market economy. Financial stabilization has remained elusive, with wide swings in monthly inflation rates. Only limited restructuring of industry has occurred so far because of a scarcity of investment funds and the failure of enterprise managers to make hard cost-cutting decisions. In addition, Moscow has yet to develop a social safety net that would allow faster restructuring by relieving enterprises of the burden of providing social benefits for their workers and has been slow to develop the legal framework necessary to fully support a market economy and to encourage foreign investment. As a result, output has continued to fall. According to Russian official data, which probably overstate the fall, GDP declined by 15% in 1994 compared with a 12% decline in 1993. Industrial output in 1994 fell 21% with all major sectors taking a hit. Agricultural production in 1994 was down 9%. The grain harvest totaled 81 million tons, some 15 million tons less than in 1993. Unemployment climbed to an estimated 6.6 million or about 7% of the work force by yearend 1994. Floundering Russian firms have already had to put another 4.8 million workers on involuntary, unpaid leave or shortened workweeks. Government fears of large-scale unemployment continued to hamper industrial restructuring efforts. According to official Russian data, real per capita income was up nearly 18% in 1994 compared with 1993, in part because many Russians are working second jobs. Most Russians perceive that they are worse off now because of growing crime and health problems and mounting wage arrears. Russia has made significant headway in privatizing state assets, completing its voucher privatization program at midyear 1994. At least a portion of about 110,000 state enterprises were transferred to private hands by the end of 1994. Including partially privatized firms, the private sector accounted for roughly half of GDP in 1994. Financial stabilization continued to remain a challenge for the government. Moscow tightened financial policies in late 1993 and early 1994, including postponing planned budget spending, and succeeded in reducing monthly inflation from 18% in January to about 5% in July and August. At midyear, however, the government relaxed austerity measures in the face of mounting pressure from industry and agriculture, sparking a new round of inflation; the monthly inflation rate jumped to roughly 15% per month during the fourth quarter. In response, Moscow announced a fairly tight government budget for 1995 designed to bring monthly inflation down to around 1% by the end of 1995. According to official statistics, Russia's 1994 trade with nations outside the former Soviet Union produced a $12.3 billion surplus, up from $11.3 billion in 1993. Foreign sales - comprised largely of oil, natural gas, and other raw materials - grew more than 8%. Imports also were up 8% as demand for food and other consumer goods surged. Russian trade with other former Soviet republics continued to decline. At the same time, Russia paid only a fraction of the roughly $20 billion in debt that came due in 1994, and by the end of the year, Russia's hard currency foreign debt had risen to nearly $100 billion. Moscow reached agreement to restructure debts with Paris Club official creditors in mid-1994 and concluded a preliminary deal with its commercial bank creditors late in the year to reschedule debts owed them in early 1995. Capital flight continued to be a serious problem in 1994, with billions of additional dollars in assets being moved abroad, primarily to bank accounts in Europe. Russia's physical plant continues to deteriorate because of insufficient maintenance and new construction. Plant and equipment on average are twice the age of the West's. Many years will pass before Russia can take full advantage of its natural resources and its human assets.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $721.2 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -15% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,820 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% per month (average 1994)
Unemployment rate: 7.1% (December 1994) with considerable additional underemployment
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $48 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures partners: Europe, North America, Japan, Third World countries, Cuba
Imports: $35.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, grain, sugar, semifinished metal products partners: Europe, North America, Japan, Third World countries, Cuba
External debt: $95 billion-$100 billion (yearend 1994)
Industrial production: growth rate -21% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 213,100,000 KW production: 876 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,800 kWh (1994)
Industries: complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; ship- building; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables
Agriculture: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, meat, milk, vegetables, fruits; because of its northern location does not grow citrus, cotton, tea, and other warm climate products
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; government has active eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe and Latin America
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1990-94), $15 billion; other countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1990-93), $120 billion
Currency: 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks
Exchange rates: rubles per US$1 - 3,550 (29 December 1994), 1,247 (27 December 1993); nominal exchange rate still deteriorating but real exchange rate holding steady
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Russia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 154,000 km; note - 87,000 km in common carrier service (49,000 km diesel; and 38,000 km electrified); 67,000 km serve specific industries and are not available for common carrier use broad gauge: 154,000 km 1.520-m gauge (1 January 1994)
Highways: total: 934,000 km (445,000 km serve specific industries or farms and are not available for common carrier use) paved and graveled: 725,000 km unpaved: 209,000 km (1 January 1994)
Inland waterways: total navigable routes in general use 101,000 km; routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet 95,900 km; of which routes with night navigational aids 60,400 km; man-made navigable routes 16,900 km (1 January 1994)
Pipelines: crude oil 48,000 km; petroleum products 15,000 km; natural gas 140,000 km (30 June 1993)
Ports: Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Kaliningrad, Kazan', Khabarovsk, Kholmsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Murmansk, Nakhodka, Nevel'sk, Novorossiysk, Petropavlovsk, St. Petersburg, Rostov, Sochi, Tuapse, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Vostochnyy, Vyborg
Merchant marine: total: 800 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,295,109 GRT/10,128,579 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk cargo 26, cargo 424, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 22, combination ore/oil 16, container 81, multifunction large-load carrier 3, oil tanker 111, passenger 4, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 19, roll-on/roll-off cargo 62, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2 note: in addition, Russia owns 235 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,084,439 DWT that operate under Maltese, Cypriot, Liberian, Panamanian, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Honduran, Marshall Islands, Bahamian, and Vanuatu registry
Airports: total: 2,517 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 54 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 202 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 108 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 115 with paved runways under 914 m: 151 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 25 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 45 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 134 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 291 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 1,392
@Russia:Communications
Telephone system: 24,400,000 telephones; 20,900,000 telephones in urban areas and 3,500,000 telephones in rural areas; of these, total installed in homes 15,400,000; total pay phones for long distant calls 34,100; about 164 telephones/1,000 persons; Russia is enlisting foreign help, by means of joint ventures, to speed up the modernization of its telecommunications system; in 1992, only 661,000 new telephones were installed compared with 855,000 in 1991, and in 1992 the number of unsatisfied applications for telephones reached 11,000,000; expanded access to international E-mail service available via Sprint network; the inadequacy of Russian telecommunications is a severe handicap to the economy, especially with respect to international connections local: NMT-450 analog cellular telephone networks are operational and growing in Moscow and St. Petersburg intercity: intercity fiberoptic cable installation remains limited international: international traffic is handled by an inadequate system of satellites, land lines, microwave radio relay and outdated submarine cables; this traffic passes through the international gateway switch in Moscow which carries most of the international traffic for the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States; a new Russian Raduga satellite will link Moscow and St. Petersburg with Rome from whence calls will be relayed to destinations in Europe and overseas; satellite earth stations - INTELSAT, Intersputnik, Eutelsat (Moscow), INMARSAT, Orbita
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1,050, FM 1,050, shortwave 1,050 radios: 48.8 million (radio receivers with multiple speaker systems for program diffusion 74,300,000)
Television: broadcast stations: 7,183 televisions: 54.2 million
@Russia:Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Forces, Air Defense Forces, Strategic Rocket Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 38,264,699; males fit for military service 29,951,977; males reach military age (18) annually 1,106,176 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP note: the Intelligence Community estimates that defense spending in Russia fell about 15% in real terms in 1994, reducing Russian defense outlays to about one-fourth of peak Soviet levels in the late 1980s; although Russia may still spend as much as 10% of its GDP on defense, this is significantly below the 15% to 17% burden the former USSR carried during much of the 1980s; conversion of military expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
RWANDA
@Rwanda:Geography
Location: Central Africa, east of Zaire
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 26,340 sq km land area: 24,950 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: total 893 km, Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 11% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 10% other: 32%
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Zaire international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked; predominantly rural population
@Rwanda:People
Population: 8,605,307 (July 1995 est.) note: the demographic estimates were prepared before civil strife, starting in April 1994, set in motion substantial and continuing population changes
Age structure: 0-14 years: 51% (female 2,184,549; male 2,201,049) 15-64 years: 47% (female 2,034,278; male 1,968,298) 65 years and over: 2% (female 126,255; male 90,878) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.67% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 48.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 21.82 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: since April 1994, more than one million refugees have fled the civil strife between the Hutu and Tutsi factions in Rwanda and crossed into Zaire, Burundi, and Tanzania; close to 350,000 Rwandan Tutsis who fled civil strife in earlier years are returning to Rwanda and a few of the recent Hutu refugees are going home despite the danger of doing so; the ethnic violence continues and in 1995 could produce further refugee flows as well as deter returns
Infant mortality rate: 118.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 39.33 years male: 38.5 years female: 40.19 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 8.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic divisions: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
Languages: Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 50% male: 64% female: 37%
Labor force: 3.6 million by occupation: agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and commerce 2%
@Rwanda:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda
Digraph: RW
Type: republic; presidential system note: after genocide and civil war in April 1994, the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front, in July 1994, took power and formed a new government
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 10 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture in French; plural - NA, singular - prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Ruhengeri
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: 18 June 1991
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch: chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994); took office following the siezure of the government by the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front and the exiling of interim President Dr. Theodore SINDIKUBWABO; no future election dates have been set head of government: Prime Minister Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU (since the siezure of power by the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front in July 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Development Council: (Conseil National de Developpement) elections last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA 1995); results - MRND was the only party; seats - (70 total) MRND 70
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session
Political parties and leaders: Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Alexis KANYARENGWE, Chairman; National Revolutionary Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND); significant independent parties include: Democratic Republican Movement (MDR); Liberal Party (PL); Democratic and Socialist Party (PSD); Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR); Party for Democracy in Rwanda (PADER); Christian Democratic Party (PDL) note: formerly a one-party state, Rwanda legalized independent parties in mid-1991
Other political or pressure groups: Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), the RPF military wing, Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME, commander;
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Joseph W. MUTABOBA chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
US diplomatic representation: note: US Embassy closed indefinitely chief of mission: Ambassador David P. RAWSON embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 756 01 through 03 FAX: [250] 721 28
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
@Rwanda:Economy
Overview: Rwanda is a poor African nation suffering bitterly from ethnic-based civil war. Almost 50% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80%-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion continue to create problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing only 17% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee/tea exports and foreign aid. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. Ethnic-based insurgency since 1990 has devastated wide areas, especially in the north, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A peace accord in mid-1993 temporarily ended most of the fighting, but massive resumption of civil warfare in April 1994 in the capital city Kigali and elsewhere has been taking thousands of lives and severely affecting short-term economic prospects. The economy suffers massively from failure to maintain the infrastructure, looting, neglect of important cash crops, and lack of health care facilities. |
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