 |
Airports: 158 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 9 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 89 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 84 (1997 est.)
@Finland:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)
Military manpower-military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 1,286,563 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,059,657 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 33,492 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $1.9 billion (1995)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.6% (1995)
@Finland:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the West European market
FRANCE
@France:Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: total: 2,892.4 km border countries: Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline: 3,427 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean) territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 27% other: 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding
Environment-current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
@France:People
Population: 58,804,944 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 5,674,417; female 5,411,685) 15-64 years: 65% (male 19,243,919; female 19,182,933) 65 years and over: 16% (male 3,759,565; female 5,532,425) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.31% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 11.68 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.12 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.51 years male: 74.6 years female: 82.62 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.63 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1980 est.)
@France:Government
Country name: conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France
Data code: FR
Government type: republic
National capital: Paris
Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular-region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot-Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats-296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate-last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998); National Assembly-last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPR 94, UDF 127, PS 75, PCF 15, other 10; National Assembly-percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party-PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation, judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary; Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel, three members appointed by the president, three members appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate; Council of State or Conseil d'Etat
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Philippe SEGUIN]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of PR, FD, RAD, PPDF) [Francois LEOTARD]; Democratie Liberale or DL [Alain MADELIN]; Democratic Force or FD [Francois BAYROU]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; The Greens [Jean-Luc BENNAHMIAS]; Generation Ecology or GE [Brice LALONDE]; Citizens Movement or MDC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; National Center of Independents and Peasants or CNIP [Oliver d'ORMESSON]; Radical Socialist Party or PRS (previously the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or LDI-MPF [Philippe DEVILLIERS]; Mouvement des Reformateurs [Jean-Pierre SOISSON]; Mouvement Ecologiste Independant [Jenevieve ANDUEZA]; Parti Populaire Pour la Democratie Francaise or PPDF [Herve de CHARETTE]; Parti Radical [Thierry CORNILLET]; Adherents Directs [Pierre-Andre WILTZER]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union or Confederation Generale des Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais) or CNPF or Patronat
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Felix G. ROHATYN embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777 telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22 FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83 consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
@France:Economy
Economy-overview: One of the four West European trillion-dollar economies, France matches a growing services sector with a diversified industrial base and substantial agricultural resources. Services now account for more than 70% of GDP, while industry generates about one-quarter of GDP and more than 80% of export earnings. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of each sector, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It nevertheless has been slowly relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s, most recently selling 23% of France Telecom. The government also plans to sell its stakes in Air France and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. Meanwhile, large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. A major exporter of wheat and dairy products, France is virtually self-sufficient in agriculture. The economy expanded by 2.3% last year, following a 1.3% gain in 1996. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major problem for the government, however, as does the need to control government spending to keep the economy internationally competitive and meet membership qualifications for the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) which is slated to introduce a common European currency in January 1999. Succeeding governments have shied away from cutting exceptionally generous social welfare benefits or the enormous state bureaucracy, preferring to pare defense spending and raise taxes to keep the deficit down. The JOSPIN administration has pledged both to lower unemployment and bring France into EMU, pinning its hopes for new jobs on economic growth and on legislation to gradually reduce the workweek from 39 to 35 hours by 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.32 trillion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$22,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 26.5% services: 71.1% (1994)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2% (1996)
Labor force: total: 25.5 million by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 12.4% (1997)
Budget: revenues: $222 billion expenditures: $265 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 102.94 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 467.541 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,841 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically
Exports: total value: $275 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing partners: Germany 17%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Spain 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia 0.7% (1996)
Imports: total value: $256 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, China 2% (1997 est.)
Debt-external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: donor: ODA, $7.915 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas-2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0
Radios: 49 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 846 (mostly repeaters) note: Eutelsat receive-only TV service
Televisions: 29.3 million (1993 est.)
@France:Transportation
Railways: total: 32,027 km standard gauge: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge; 31,940 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 13,805 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many being of very narrow gauge (1996)
Highways: total: 892,500 km paved: 892,500 km (including 9,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
Pipelines: crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km
Ports and harbors: Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg
Merchant marine: total: 62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,528,107 GRT/2,354,235 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 5, chemical tanker 8, combination bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 4, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 18, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea passenger 6, specialized tanker 1 note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1997 est.)
Airports: 473 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 266 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95 914 to 1,523 m: 73 under 914 m: 56 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 207 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 75 under 914 m: 129 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1997 est.)
@France:Military
Military branches: Army (includes Marines), Navy (includes Naval Air), Air Force (includes Air Defense, National Gendarmerie
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 14,739,065 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 12,264,824 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 407,794 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $47.7 billion (1995)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 2.5% (1995)
@France:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin
FRENCH GUIANA
(overseas department of France)
@French Guiana:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 53 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total: 91,000 sq km land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 83% other: 17% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: mostly an unsettled wilderness
@French Guiana:People
Population: 162,547 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 26,003; female 24,840) 15-64 years: 64% (male 56,034; female 47,250) 65 years and over: 5% (male 4,245; female 4,175) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.4% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 23.73 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.53 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 14.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.48 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.34 years male: 73.12 years female: 79.71 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese
Ethnic groups: black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: French
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.)
@French Guiana:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane
Data code: FG
Dependency status: overseas department of France
Government type: NA
National capital: Cayenne
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 legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997) head of government: President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA (since NA March 1994); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since NA March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: representative of the French Government appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils, who vote on party lines
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council-last held 20-27 March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Council-last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1998) election results: General Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PSG 8, FDG 4, RPR 1, other left 2, other right 2, other 2; Regional Council - percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PSG 16, FDG 10, RPR 2, independents 3 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RDSE 1; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPR 1, PSG 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Political parties and leaders: Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Leone MICHOTTE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean BART] (may be a subset of PSG); Nationalist Popular Party of Guyana (Parti Nationaliste Populaire Guiana) or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Union of Social Democrats (Union des Socialistes Democates) or USD [Leon BERTRAND] (umbrella group of RPR and UDF); Rally for the Republic or RPR [Leon BERTRAND]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [R. CHOW-CHINE]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]; Action Democrate Guiana or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Democratic and European Rally of the Senate or RDSE
International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas department of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
@French Guiana:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$800 million (1993 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$6,000 (1993 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2.5% (1992)
Labor force: total: 46,300 (1993) by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Unemployment rate: 24.1% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $176 million expenditures: $350 million, including capital expenditures of $92 million (1994)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 165,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 420 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 2,890 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, vegetables, bananas, sugar; cattle, pigs, poultry
Exports: total value: $81 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing partners: France 60%, EU 7%
Imports: total value: $605 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals partners: France 62%, Germany 4%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4%, US 2%
Debt-external: $1.2 billion (1988)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 31,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0
Radios: 79,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 22,000 (1992 est.)
@French Guiana:Transportation
Railways: 0 km (1995)
Highways: total: 1,817 km (national 432 km, departmental 385 km, community 1,000 km) paved: 727 km unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Ports and harbors: Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 11 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
@French Guiana:Military
Military branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 46,136 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 29,878 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@French Guiana:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Illicit drugs: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe
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
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 140 00 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km
Area-comparative: 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
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 31% other: 57% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-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: 237,844 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 40,264; female 38,770) 15-64 years: 62% (male 77,011; female 71,100) 65 years and over: 5% (male 5,347; female 5,352) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.81% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.67 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.67 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.25 years male: 69.87 years female: 74.75 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.71 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Literacy: definition: age 14 and over can read and write, but definition of literacy not available total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.)
@French Polynesia:Government
Country name: 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
Data code: FP
Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1946
Government type: NA
National 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 of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since NA 1994) head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Polynesian Liberation Front 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif
Political parties and leaders: People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Pupu Here Ai'a Party) [Jean JUVENTIN]; Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa) [Jacques DROLLET]; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa (Tinomana Ebb); Haere i Mua [Alexandre LEONTIEFF]; Te e'a No Maohi Nui [Jean-Marius RAAPOTO]; Pupu Taina [Michel LAW]; Entente Polynesian [Arthur CHUNG]; Centrist Union or UC
International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description: two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions
@French Polynesia:Economy
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. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory will continue to benefit from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.76 billion (1995 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$8,000 (1995 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1992 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.5% (1994)
Labor force: total: 118,744 (of which 70,044 are employed) (1988) by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $636 million expenditures: $643 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 79,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 330 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,500 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products
Exports: total value: $245 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: cultured pearls 53.8%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1992) partners: France 33%, US 8.5% (1994)
Imports: total value: $967 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: France 44.7%, US 13.9% (1994)
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1-110.60 (January 1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993); note-linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 33,200 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 116,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 35,000 (1992 est.)
@French Polynesia:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 792 km paved: 792 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: 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 (1997 est.)
Airports: 43 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 11 (1997 est.)
@French Polynesia:Military
Military branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@French Polynesia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS
(overseas territory of France)
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Geography
Location: south of 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 Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 S, 67 00 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 7,781 sq km land: 7,781 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Area-comparative: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,232 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Kerguelen 1,850 m
Natural resources: fish, crayfish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there were 101 (1997) mostly researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Government
Country name: 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
Data code: FS
Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by a high commissioner of the Republic
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 "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Economy
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: $14.2 million expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: total: 61 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,164,686 GRT/3,805,913 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 7, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12 note: French Southern and Antarctic Lands owns 3 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 78,691 DWT that operate under French registry (1997 est.)
Airports: none
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
GABON
@Gabon:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 11 45 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 267,670 sq km land: 257,670 sq km water: 10,000 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries: total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the 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
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Natural resources: petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 77% other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: deforestation; poaching
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Gabon:People
Population: 1,207,844 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 202,364; female 202,249) 15-64 years: 61% (male 372,157; female 364,806) 65 years and over: 6% (male 32,718; female 33,550) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.48% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 13.23 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 85.43 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.51 years male: 53.55 years female: 59.56 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.81 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese
Ethnic groups: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Religions: Christian 55%-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
@Gabon:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon
Data code: GB
Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)
National 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: Independence Day, 17 August (1960) (Gabon granted full independence from France)
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) 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 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote-Omar BONGO 51%
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of a Senate (91 seats) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms elections: National Assembly-last held in December 1996 (next to be held in December 2001); Senate-last held 12 January 1997 (next to be held in January 2002) election results: National Assembly-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - PDG 100, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 8, PUP 3, CLR 3, FAR 1, UPG 1, USG 2, PGP 2; Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDG 51, RNB 17, PGP 4, ADERA 3, RDP 1, others 15 note: the provision of the constitution for the establishment of a senate was implemented in the 12 January 1997 elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers-Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
Political parties and leaders: Action Forum for Renewal or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI, secretary general]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Guedet MANZELA, secretary general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; Gabonese Socialist Union or USG [Dr. Serge Mba BEKALE]; National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks or Morena-Bucherons/RNB [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; ADERA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Akexandre SAMBAT, president]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth RASPOLIC 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 description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
@Gabon:Economy
Economy-overview: Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty but because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite the 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% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95 and a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon chastened the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform (such as reduced public sector employment and salary growth).
GDP: purchasing power parity-$6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$5,000 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 7.1% industry: 54.6% services: 38.3% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 6.2% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry and commerce, services
Unemployment rate: 10%-14% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $302 million (1996 est.)
Industries: food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, uranium, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair
Industrial production growth rate: 2.3% (1995)
Electricity-capacity: 310,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 925 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 800 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil; rubber; okoume (a tropical softwood); cattle; small fishing operations (provide a catch of about 30,000 metric tons)
Exports: total value: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: crude oil 81%, timber 12%, manganese 5%, uranium (1996) partners: US 50%, France 16%, Japan 8%, China, Spain, Germany (1996)
Imports: total value: $969 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials partners: France 39%, Cote d'Ivoire 13%, US 6%, Netherlands 5%, Japan
Debt-external: $3.9 billion (1996)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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
Communications
Telephones: 22,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: 250,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (repeaters 5)
Televisions: 40,000 (1993 est.)
@Gabon:Transportation
Railways: total: 649 km Gabon State Railways (OCTRA) standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)
Highways: total: 7,670 km paved: 629 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,041 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
Ports and harbors: Cape Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil
Merchant marine: total: 3 bulk (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 37,003 GRT/60,663 DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 64 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 54 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 26 (1997 est.)
@Gabon:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 277,850 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 142,334 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 11,352 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $154 million (1993)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 2.4% (1993)
@Gabon:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
GAMBIA, THE
The Gambia
The Gambia @Gambia, The:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 11,300 sq km land: 10,000 sq km water: 1,300 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 740 km border countries: 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
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 53 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 28% other: 45% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years
Environment-current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
@Gambia, The:People
Population: 1,291,858 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 296,108; female 295,136) 15-64 years: 52% (male 330,215; female 336,056) 65 years and over: 2% (male 18,194; female 16,149) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 43.3 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 12.93 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 77.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.91 years male: 51.59 years female: 56.29 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.91 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gambian(s) adjective: Gambian
Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%
Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 38.6% male: 52.8% female: 24.9% (1995 est.)
@Gambia, The:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia conventional short form: The Gambia
Data code: GA
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
National capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western note: it has been reported but not verified that the name of the MacCarthy Island division has been changed to Central River
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); note-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; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in January 1997
Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 12 October 1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the president elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term; the number of terms is not restricted; election last held 26 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: percent of vote-President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.5%, Ousinou DARBOE 35.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly; 49 seats (45 elected, 4 appointed by the president) elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-APRC 33, UDP 7, NRP 2, PDOIS 1, independents 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]; note-in August 1996 the government banned the following from participation in the elections of 1996: People's Progressive Party or PPP [former President Dawda K. JAWARA (in exile)], and two opposition parties-the National Convention Party or NCP [former vice president Sheriff DIBBA] and the Gambian People's Party or GPP [Hassan Musa CAMARA]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Crispin GREY-JOHNSON chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399, 1379, 1425 FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald Wesley SCOTT embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971 FAX: [220] 392475
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
@Gambia, The:Economy
Economy-overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 made Senegalese goods more competitive and hurt the reexport trade. The Gambia has benefited from a rebound in tourism after its decline in response to the military's takeover in July 1994. Short-run economic progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid and on responsible government economic management.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.23 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.1% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,000 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 15% services: 58% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2.2% (1997)
Labor force: total: NA by occupation: agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $88.6 million expenditures: $98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 29,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 73 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 74 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishing resources not fully exploited
Exports: total value: $160 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: peanuts and peanut products 70%, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels partners: Japan, Senegal, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, UK, Indonesia
Imports: total value: $140 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment partners: China, Cote d'Ivoire, Hong Kong, UK, Germany
Debt-external: $426 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: bilateral $36.1 million; multilateral $34.7 million (1994)
Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1-10.513 (December 1997), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996), 9.546 (1995), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 11,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 180,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (government owned)
Televisions: NA
@Gambia, The:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,700 km paved: 956 km unpaved: 1,744 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 400 km
Ports and harbors: Banjul
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Gambia, The:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, National Police, National Guard
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 286,847 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 144,547 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $1.2 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3.8% (FY93/94)
@Gambia, The:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
GAZA STRIP
Introduction
Current issues: 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. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996, but have not resumed since the initial meeting. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, 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 took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement and the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron. 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. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations.
@Gaza Strip:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 360 sq km land: 360 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement-permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 39% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 11% other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment
Environment-international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1997 est.)
@Gaza Strip:People
Population: 1,054,173 (July 1998 est.) note: in addition, there are 6,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 52% (male 278,551; female 265,009) 15-64 years: 46% (male 241,420; female 238,857) 65 years and over: 2% (male 12,966; female 17,370) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 6.4% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 49.07 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 18.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.45 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.95 years male: 71.56 years female: 74.4 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.57 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: NA adjective: NA
Ethnic groups: 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 and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Literacy: NA
@Gaza Strip:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Data code: GZ
@Gaza Strip:Economy
Economy-overview: Economic progress in the Gaza Strip has been hampered by tight Israeli security restrictions. 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 has depended upon Israel for nearly 90% of its external trade. The Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks have dealt blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment and popular unrest have increased, and living standards have fallen. The redeployment of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip in May 1994 has added to the set of adjustment problems. This series of disruptions has meant a sharp decline in employment in Israel since 1991 and a drop in GDP as a whole. An estimated 378,000 persons were in refugee camps in 1996.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -6.9% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,100 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 33% industry: 25% services: 42% (1995 est., includes West Bank)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 8.4% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA by occupation: services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996) note: excluding Israeli settlers
Unemployment rate: 28% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $684 million expenditures: $779 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996) note: includes West Bank
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
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: NA kW note: electricity supplied by Israel
Electricity-production: NA kWh note: electricity supplied by Israel
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: olives, citrus, other fruits, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Exports: total value: $630 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) (includes West Bank) commodities: citrus partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Imports: total value: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.) (includes West Bank) commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1-3.5340 (December 1997), 3.4494 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Communications
Telephones: NA note: 3.1% of Palestinian households have telephones
Telephone system: domestic: 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: 1 station operated by the Palestinian Authority
Televisions: NA; note-59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.)
@Gaza Strip:Transportation
Railways: total: NA km; note-one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports and harbors: Gaza
Airports: 2 (1997 est.) note: includes new international airport that was scheduled to open in June 1997, but has been delayed due to political and security disagreements between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators
Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Gaza Strip:Military
Military branches: NA
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Gaza Strip:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement-permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
GEORGIA
Introduction
Current issues: Beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence in 1991, Georgia began to stabilize in 1994. Separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant since spring 1994, although political settlements remain elusive. Russian peacekeepers are deployed in both regions and a UN Observer Mission is operating in Abkhazia. As a result of these conflicts, Georgia still has about 250,000 internally displaced people. In 1995, Georgia adopted a new constitution and conducted generally free and fair nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections. In 1996, the government focused its attention to implementing an ambitious economic reform program and professionalizing its parliament. Violence and organized crime were sharply curtailed in 1995 and 1996, but corruption remains rife. In 1997, SHEVARDNADZE succeeded in bringing international attention to the Abkhazia conflict. The UN sponsored two meetings on the subject, but a resolution is still far off. Georgia also took some steps in 1997 to reduce its dependence on Russia, acquiring coastal patrol boats it hopes to use to replace the current Russian border units on the Black Sea coast. The year 1997 also saw a sharpening of rhetoric-especially from parliament-against Russia's continued military presence on Georgian territory.
@Georgia:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area: total: 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total: 1,461 km border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline: 310 km
Maritime claims: NA
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m
Natural resources: forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Land use: arable land: 9% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 34% other: 28% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Desertification
@Georgia:People
Population: 5,108,527 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (male 562,623; female 540,378) 15-64 years: 66% (male 1,631,296; female 1,756,087) 65 years and over: 12% (male 235,042; female 383,101) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.92% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 11.72 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 14.1 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 51.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.79 years male: 61.36 years female: 68.4 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.54 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Georgian(s) adjective: Georgian
Ethnic groups: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions: Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%
Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 100% female: 98% (1989 est.)
@Georgia:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: GG
Government type: republic
National capital: T'bilisi
Administrative divisions: 53 rayons (raionebi, singular-raioni), 9 cities* (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics** (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abashis, Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Sokhumi), Adigenis, Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Bat'umi), Akhalgoris, Akhalk'alak'is, Akhalts'ikhis, Akhmetis, Ambrolauris, Aspindzis, Baghdat'is, Bolnisis, Borjomis, Chiat'ura*, Ch'khorotsqus, Ch'okhatauris, Dedop'listsqaros, Dmanisis, Dushet'is, Gardabanis, Gori*, Goris, Gurjaanis, Javis, K'arelis, Kaspis, Kharagaulis, Khashuris, Khobis, Khonis, K'ut'aisi*, Lagodekhis, Lanch'khut'is, Lentekhis, Marneulis, Martvilis, Mestiis, Mts'khet'is, Ninotsmindis, Onis, Ozurget'is, P'ot'i*, Qazbegis, Qvarlis, Rust'avi*, Sach'kheris, Sagarejos, Samtrediis, Senakis, Sighnaghis, T'bilisi*, T'elavis, T'erjolis, T'et'ritsqaros, T'ianet'is, Tqibuli*, Ts'ageris, Tsalenjikhis, Tsalkis, Tsqaltubo*, Vanis, Zestap'onis, Zugdidi*, Zugdidis note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 May (1991)
Constitution: adopted 17 October 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992, Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995; inaugurated 26 November 1995); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992, Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA April 2000) election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE elected president; percent of vote-Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 74%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats; members are elected to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999) election results: percent of vote by party-CUG 24%, NDP 8%, AGUR 7%, all other parties received less than 5% each; seats by party-CUG 107, NDP 34, AGUR 32, Progress Bloc (DUG, Political Association "Georgian Proprietors," Political Union of Young Democrats, Solidarity) 4, SPG 4, others 9, Abkazian deputies 12, independents 29, not filled 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's recommendation; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Citizen's Union of Georgia or CUG [Eduard SHEVARDNADZE]; National Democratic People's Party [Mamuka GIORGADZE]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTARIA]; Union for "Revival" Party or AGUR [Alsan ABASHIDZE]; Union of Traditionalists or UGT [Akaki ASTANTIANI]; Socialist Party or SPG [Vakhtang RCHEULISHVILI]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman]; Greens Party [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; United Republican Party or URP [Nodar NATADZE, chairman]; National Independent Party or NIP [Irakli TSERETELI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or GSDP [Guram MUCHAIDZE, secretary general]; Conservative-Monarchist Party or GCMP [Temur ZHORZHOLIANI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: supporters of ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) remain a source of opposition; separatist elements in the breakaway region of Abkhazia
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 393-5959 FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: #25 Antonelli Street, T'bilisi 380026 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 995-32-989-967 or 995-32-933-803 (operator assisted) FAX: tie-line FAX 997-0200; 933-759 or 938-951
Flag description: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below
@Georgia:Economy
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 output of 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 internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains in 1995-97, increasing GDP growth and slashing inflation. Georgia still suffers from energy shortages, although energy deliveries are steadily improving. Georgia is pinning its hopes for long-term recovery on the development of an international transportation corridor through the key Black Sea ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. The construction of a Caspian oil pipeline through Georgia-scheduled to open in early 1999-should spur greater western investment in the economy. A growing trade deficit, continuing problems with corruption, and political uncertainties cloud the short-term economic picture.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$8.1 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 11.8% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,570 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 29% industry: 16% services: 55% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Labor force: total: 2.2 million (1996) by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $441 million expenditures: $606 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (1996 est.)
Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, foundry equipment, electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors, process control equipment, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes, chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: 8.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 4.558 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 7.1 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,175 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes; small livestock sector
Exports: total value: $400 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) 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, Bulgaria (1996)
Imports: total value: $733 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment partners: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan (1996); note-EU and US send humanitarian food shipments
Debt-external: $1.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $28 million (1993) note: commitments, 1992-95, $1,200 million ($675 million disbursements)
Currency: lari introduced September 1995 replacing the coupon
Exchange rates: lari per US$1 (end of period)-1.32 (December 1997), 1.28 (December 1996), 1.24 (December 1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 672,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: poor service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (December 1990 est.) domestic: NA international: landline to CIS members and Turkey; satellite earth station-1 Eutelsat; leased connections with other countries via the Moscow international gateway switch; international electronic mail and telex service available
Radio broadcast stations: 2 national broadcast stations, 3 regional broadcast stations
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 3
Televisions: NA
@Georgia:Transportation
Railways: total: 1,583 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 1,583 km 1.520-m gauge (1993)
Highways: total: 20,700 km paved: 19,354 km unpaved: 1,346 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 87,730 GRT/122,769 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, oil tanker 5, short-sea passenger 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 28 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)
Transportation-note: transportation network is in poor condition and disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair
@Georgia:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 1,286,126 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,017,954 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 40,946 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 79 million lari (1997); note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 8.8% (1998 approved budget)
@Georgia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates to Western Europe
GERMANY
@Germany:Geography
Location: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 356,910 sq km land: 349,520 sq km water: 7,390 sq km note: includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin, following formal unification on 3 October 1990
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 3,621 km border countries: 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
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Freepsum Lake -2 m highest point: Zugspitze 2,962 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 31% other: 20% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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; hazardous waste disposal
Environment-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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
Geography-note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
@Germany:People
Population: 82,079,454 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (male 6,570,582; female 6,240,671) 15-64 years: 68% (male 28,688,052; female 27,532,099) 65 years and over: 16% (male 4,866,122; female 8,181,928) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.02% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 8.84 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.77 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.99 years male: 73.83 years female: 80.33 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: German(s) adjective: German
Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, Italians 0.7%, Greeks 0.4%, Poles 0.4%, other 4.6% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in the former Yugoslavia)
Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3%
Languages: German
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1977 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
@Germany:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany conventional short form: Germany local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland local short form: Deutschland
Data code: GM
Government type: federal republic
National 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 even after parliament moves in 1999
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 elections: president elected by the Federal Convention including members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of members elected by the Land Parliaments for a five-year term; election last held 23 May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held 27 September 1998) election results: Roman HERZOG elected president; percent of Federal Convention vote - NA; Dr. Helmut KOHL reelected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly-NA
Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the two chambers as a whole) consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (656 seats usually, but 672 for the 1994 term; elected by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (68 votes; state governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population and are required to vote as a block; term is not fixed) elections: Federal Assembly-last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held by 27 September 1998); Federal Council-last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: Federal Assembly-percent of vote by party-CDU 34.2%, SPD 36.4%, Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%, Republicans 1.9%; seats by party-CDU 244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; note-one Greens member defected to the CDU making the seat count CDU 245, Alliance 90/Greens 48; Federal Council-current composition-votes by party - SPD-led states 41, CDU-led states 27
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Helmut KOHL, chairman]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Theodor WAIGEL, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Wolfgang GERHARDT, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Oskar LAFONTAINE, chairman]; Alliance '90/Greens [Christa NICKELS]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY, chairman]; Republikaner [Rolf SCHLIERER, chairman]; National Democratic Party or NPD [Gunter DECKERT]; Communist Party or DKP [Rolf PRIEMER and Heinz STEHR, cochairpersons]
Political pressure groups and leaders: employers' organizations, expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John C. KORNBLUM embassy: Deichmanns Aue 29, 53170 Bonn mailing address: APO AE 09080, PSC 117, Bonn telephone: [49] (228) 3391 FAX: [49] (228) 339-2663 branch office: Berlin consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
@Germany:Economy
Economy-overview: In 1997 the German economy, the world's third most powerful, benefited from robust exports, particularly to other members of the EU and the US, as well as strengthening equipment investment. But anemic private consumption and a contraction in the construction industry limited the expansion. Unemployment continued to set post-war monthly records through the end of 1997 and averaged 4.3 million for the year. In preparation for the 1 January 1999 start of the European Monetary Union, the government has made major efforts in 1996-97 to reduce the fiscal deficit. This effort has been complicated by growing unemployment, an erosion of the tax base, and the continuing transfer of roughly $100 billion a year to eastern Germany to refurbish this ex-communist area. In recent years business and political leaders have become increasingly concerned about Germany's decline in attractiveness as an investment target. They cite increasing preference by German companies to locate new manufacturing facilities in foreign countries, including the US, rather than in Germany, to be closer to the markets and to avoid Germany's high tax rates, high wage costs, rigid labor structures, and extensive regulations. For similar reasons foreign investment in Germany has been lagging in recent years. |
|
