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Area-comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 177 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire 828 m
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: arable land: 49% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 22% other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 170 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Environment-current issues: water pollution
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Mauritius:People
Population: 1,168,256 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 155,917; female 152,563) 15-64 years: 68% (male 393,330; female 397,285) 65 years and over: 6% (male 28,092; female 41,069) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.2% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 18.64 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.69 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.9 years male: 67.05 years female: 74.74 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.22 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian
Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religions: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.)
@Mauritius:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius
Data code: MP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Rabindranath GHURBURRUN (since 1 July 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly election results: Cassam UTEEM elected president and Rabindranath GHURBURRUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (66 seats-62 popularly elected, 4 appointed; members serve five-year terms); note-the election commission appoints four members from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR 20%, other 15%; seats by party-MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: government party: Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] opposition parties: Hizbullah [Imam Mustapha BEEHARRY]; MSM/MMR alliance consisting of the Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] and the Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER]; Organization of the People of Rodrigues or OPR [Louis Serge CLAIR]; Rodrigues Movement [Nicholas Von MALLY, leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL (8 July 1996) embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: International Mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US Mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767 FAX: [230] 208-9534
Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
@Mauritius:Economy
Economy-overview: Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial services, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-97 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$11.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 5.4% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$10,300 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 63% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 6.5% (1996)
Labor force: total: 514,000 (1995) by occupation: construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 1.8% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $822 million (FY 94/95) expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $198 million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1992)
Electricity-capacity: 361,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 960 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 852 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Exports: total value: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing and textiles 55%, sugar 24% (1995) partners: UK 34%, France 21%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4% (1995)
Imports: total value: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: manufactured goods 37%, capital equipment 19%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7% (1995) partners: France 20%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 6%, Germany 5% (1995)
Debt-external: $1.2 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1-22.220 (January 1998), 20.561 (1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994), 17.648 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 65,000 (1985 est.)
Telephone system: small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 395,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1987 est.) note: two new subscription channels began operation in 1995
Televisions: 151,096 (1991 est.)
@Mauritius:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,860 km paved: 1,732 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 128 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Port Louis
Merchant marine: total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 241,799 GRT/336,316 DWT ships by type: cargo 7, combination bulk 2, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; India owns 1 ship (1997 est.)
Airports: 5 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
@Mauritius:Military
Military branches: National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF, Special Support Units or SSU, and National Coast Guard)
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 336,655 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 170,695 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $13.9 million (FY94/95)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 0.1% (FY94/95)
@Mauritius:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: claims the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems
MAYOTTE
(territorial collectivity of France)
@Mayotte:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 12 50 S, 45 10 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 375 sq km land: 375 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 185.2 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
Terrain: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: part of Comoro Archipelago
@Mayotte:People
Population: 141,944 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 33,067; female 33,016) 15-64 years: 52% (male 40,009; female 33,380) 65 years and over: 2% (male 1,214; female 1,258) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 5.16% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 46.96 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 13.87 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: 1.2 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 71.13 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.58 years male: 57.21 years female: 62.02 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.48 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran
Ethnic groups: NA
Religions: Muslim 99%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
Literacy: NA
@Mayotte:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte
Data code: MF
Dependency status: territorial collectivity of France
Government type: NA
National capital: Mamoutzou
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Philippe BOISADAM (since NA) head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: prefect appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held NA March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; note-only nine of the 19 seats were subjected to voting in March 1997; after the election, seats by party were as follows: MPM 8, RPR 5, independent candidates 5, local PS 1 note: Mayotte elects 1 member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-MPM 1; Mayotte also elects 1 member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held as a special election on NA May 2002); results-percent of vote by party-UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%; seats by party-UDF/FD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Association for French Mayotte or Association Pour Mayotte Francaise [Didier BEOUTIS]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste); Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]
International organization participation: FZ
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
@Mayotte:Economy
Economy-overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$63 million (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$600 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 38% (1991 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: NA kW
Electricity-production: NA kWh
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra
Exports: total value: $3.64 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra partners: France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion
Imports: total value: $131.5 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: building materials, machinery and transportation equipment, metals, chemicals, rice, clothing, flour partners: France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 20%
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA note: extensive French financial assistance
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: 450
Telephone system: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 30,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 3,500 (1994 est.)
@Mayotte:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 93 km paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km
Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Mayotte:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island
@Mayotte:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: claimed by Comoros
MEXICO
@Mexico:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Geographic coordinates: 23 00 N, 102 00 W
Map references: North America
Area: total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water: 49,510 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,538 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
Coastline: 9,330 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 39% forests and woodland: 26% other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 61,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts
Environment-current issues: natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: strategic location on southern border of US
@Mexico:People
Population: 98,552,776 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (male 17,883,007; female 17,193,082) 15-64 years: 60% (male 28,932,074; female 30,511,443) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,808,581; female 2,224,589) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.77% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 25.49 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.91 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.89 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: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 25.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.63 years male: 68.62 years female: 74.79 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.91 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%
Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 91.8% female: 87.4% (1995 est.)
@Mexico:Government
Country name: conventional long form: United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico
Data code: MX
Government type: federal republic operating under a centralized government
National capital: Mexico
Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular-estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Constitution: 5 February 1917
Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of the Senate elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 August 1994 (next to be held in July or August 2000) election results: Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon elected president; percent of vote-Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (PRI) 50.18%, Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano (PRD) 17.08%, Diego FERNANDEZ DE CEVALLOS (PAN) 26.69%, other 6.049%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats, expanded from 64 seats at the last election; half are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and half are allocated or on basis of each party's popular vote) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are directly elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; remaining 200 seats are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote, also for a three-year term) elections: Senate-last held 6 July 1997 for one-quarter of the seats; Chamber of Deputies-last held 6 July 1997 (the next legislative elections will coincide with the presidential election in July or August 2000) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PRI 77, PAN 33, PRD 16, PVEM 1, PT 1; note-the distribution of seats as of May 1998 is as follows-PRI 77, PAN 31, PRD 15, PT 1, independents 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party-PRI 39%, PAN 27%, PRD 26%; seats by party-PRI 239, PRD 125, PAN 121, PVEM 8, PT 7; note-the distribution of seats as of May 1998 is as follows-PRI 237, PRD 127, PAN 120, PT 7, PVEM 6, independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), judges are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate
Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Mariano PALACIOS Alocer; National Action Party (PAN), Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa; Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael AGUILAR Talamantes; Democratic Forum Party (PFD), Rosalia RAMIREZ; Mexican Green Ecologist Party (PVEM), Jorge GONZALEZ Torres; Workers Party (PT), Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez
Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM); Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN); Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO); National Peasant Confederation (CNC); Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT); Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC); Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM); Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX); National Chamber of Transformation Industries (CANACINTRA); Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations (COECE); Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services (FESEBES)
International organization participation: AG (observer), APEC, BCIE, BIS (pending member), Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G- 6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECD, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jesus REYES HEROLES Gonzalez Garza chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Albuquerque, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Midland (Texas), Nogales (Arizona), Orlando, Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, Santa Ana (California), Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge Charles BRAYSHAW embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal mailing address: P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044-3087 telephone: [52] (5) 211-0042 FAX: [52] (5) 511-9980, 208-3373 consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nuevo Laredo
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band
@Mexico:Economy
Economy-overview: Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 1998. The ZEDILLO administration is privatizing and expanding competition in sea ports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. The Mexican economy is in its third year of recovery from the recession of 1995, which was touched off by a financial crisis. After declining 6.2% in 1995, real GDP grew 5.1% in 1996 and 7.3% in 1997 and is expected to rise by 5% in 1998. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996 and 1997. Private consumption spending in 1998 probably will rise by at least 4% on the strength of increased employment and rising real wages, and the troubled banking sector is likely to increase lending for the first time in three years. Despite the spillover from the Asian crisis, the medium-term outlook for Mexico remains positive, with government and private sector economists projecting average annual growth of 4% to 5% through the year 2000. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal with the top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. The inefficient agricultural sector employs 20% to 25% of the labor force but produces only 8% of GDP. Trade with the United States and Canada has nearly doubled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico is pursuing additional trade agreements with most countries in Latin America and with the European Union to lessen its dependence on the United States, which accounts for 80% of Mexico's total trade.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$694.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 7.3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$7,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 33% services: 59% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 15.7% (1997 est.)
Labor force: total: 36.6 million (1996) by occupation: services 28.8%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 21.8%, commerce 17.1%, manufacturing 16.1%, construction 5.2%, public administration and national defense 4.4%, transportation and communications 4.1%
Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1997 est.) urban; plus considerable underemployment
Budget: revenues: $92 billion expenditures: $94 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 35.466 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 145.199 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,533 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Exports: total value: $110.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.), includes in-bond industries commodities: crude oil, oil products, coffee, silver, engines, motor vehicles, cotton, consumer electronics partners: US 85%, Canada 2.1%, Japan 1%, Spain 1%, Chile 1%, Brazil 1% (1997 est.)
Imports: total value: $109.8 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.), includes in-bond industries commodities: metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts partners: US 74.8%, Japan 4.1%, Germany 3.5%, Canada 1.8%, South Korea 1.4%, Italy 1.2%, France 1.1% (1997 est.)
Debt-external: $162 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $85 million (1993)
Currency: 1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1-8.1798 (January 1998), 7.9141 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194 (1995), 3.3751 (1994), 3.1156 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 11,890,868 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed system with extensive microwave radio relay links; privatized in December 1990; opened to competition January 1997 domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government, but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth stations-5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); launched Solidaridad I satellite in November 1993 and Solidaridad II in October 1994, giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections
Radio broadcast stations: AM 800, FM 500, shortwave 17
Radios: 22.5 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 238
Televisions: 13.1 million (1992 est.)
@Mexico:Transportation
Railways: total: 20,567 km standard gauge: 20,477 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified) narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 252,000 km paved: 94,248 km (including 6,740 km of expressways) unpaved: 157,752 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Pipelines: crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural gas 13,254 km; petrochemical 1,400 km
Ports and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz
Merchant marine: total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 899,224 GRT/1,312,505 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 29, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 3 (1997 est.)
Airports: 1,810 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 231 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 78 under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1,579 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 472 under 914 m: 1,040 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
@Mexico:Military
Military branches: National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force), Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Marines)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 25,114,890 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 18,280,523 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 1,077,800 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $2.2 billion (1997)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 0.3% (1997)
@Mexico:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 1997-4,000 hectares, a 22% decrease from 1996; potential production-46 metric tons, about a 15% decrease from 1996) and cannabis continues in spite of increased government eradication; major supplier of heroin and marijuana to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America; increasingly involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamines
MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Geography
Location: Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 15 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 702 sq km land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Truk (Chuuk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae
Area-comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 6,112 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage
Terrain: islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Totolom 791 m
Natural resources: forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals
Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography-note: four major island groups totaling 607 islands
@Micronesia, Federated States of:People
Population: 129,658 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 3.31% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 27.55 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 11.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 34.51 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.34 years male: 66.38 years female: 70.34 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Micronesian(s) adjective: Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese
Ethnic groups: nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other and none 3%
Languages: English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 91% female: 88% (1980 est.)
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia conventional short form: none former: Kosrae, Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) abbreviation: FSM
Data code: FM
Government type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986
National capital: Palikir
Administrative divisions: 4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk (Truk), Yap
Independence: 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)
National holiday: Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May (1979)
Constitution: 10 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacob NENA (acting president since NA July 1996, president since 9 May 1997); Vice President Leo A. FALCAM (since 9 May 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Vice President Jacob NENA became acting president in July 1996 after President Bailey OLTER suffered a stroke; OLTER was declared incapacitated in November 1996; as provided for by the constitution, 180 days later, with OLTER still unable to resume his duties, NENA was sworn in as the new president; he will serve for the remaining two years of OLTER's term head of government: President Jacob NENA (acting president since NA July 1996, president since 9 May 1997); Vice President Leo A. FALCAM (since 9 May 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Vice President Jacob NENA became acting president in July 1996 after President Bailey OLTER suffered a stroke; OLTER was declared incapacitated in November 1996; as provided for by the constitution, 180 days later, with OLTER still unable to resume his duties, NENA was sworn in as the new president; he will serve for the remaining two years of OLTER's term cabinet: Cabinet elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms; election last held 11 May 1995 (next to be held NA May 1999); note-because of the vacancy to the post of vice president created after NENA left to become acting president, a new election to fill the position for the remaining two years of the term was held on 9 May 1997 (next to be held NA May 1999) election results: Bailey OLTER reelected president; percent of Congress vote-NA; Leo A. FALCAM elected vice president; percent of Congress vote-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Congress (14 seats; members elected by popular vote; four - one elected from each of state-to serve four-year terms and 10-elected from single-member districts delineated by population-to serve two-year terms) elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 7 March 1995 (next to be held NA March 1999); elections for two-year term seats last held NA March 1997 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-independents 14
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: no formal parties
International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383 FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391 consulate(s) general: Honolulu and Tamuning (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Cheryl A. MARTIN embassy: address NA, Kolonia mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941 telephone: [691] 320-2187 FAX: [691] 320-2186
Flag description: light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Economy
Economy-overview: Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development. Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the 1990s. Geographical isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure are major impediments to long-term growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$220 million (1996 est.) note: GDP is supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually
GDP-real growth rate: 1% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,760 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 4% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA by occupation: two-thirds are government employees
Unemployment rate: 27% (1989)
Budget: revenues : $58 million expenditures: $52 million, including capital expenditures of $4.7 million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: tourism, construction, fish processing, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 38,500 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: NA kWh
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens
Exports: total value: $73 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: fish, garments, bananas, black pepper partners: Japan, US, Guam
Imports: total value: $168 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages partners: US, Japan, Australia
Debt-external: $129 million
Economic aid: recipient: under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Telephones: 960
Telephone system: domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: satellite earth stations-4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 1
Radios: 17,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 1,290 (1993 est.)
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 240 km paved: 42 km unpaved: 198 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Colonia (Yap), Kolonia (Pohnpei), Lele, Moen
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 6 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Micronesia, Federated States of:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
MIDWAY ISLANDS
(territory of the US)
@Midway Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
Geographic coordinates: 28 13 N, 177 22 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 6.2 sq km land: 6.2 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Eastern Island and Sand Island
Area-comparative: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 15 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly winds
Terrain: low, nearly level
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 4 m
Natural resources: fish, wildlife
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: NA
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: a coral atoll; closed to the public
@Midway Islands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants
Population growth rate: 0% (1998 est.)
@Midway Islands:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Midway Islands
Data code: MQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy, under Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division; this facility has been operationally closed since 10 September 1993; on 31 October 1996, through a Presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
National capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
@Midway Islands:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is based on providing support services for any remaining activities located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity-capacity: NA kW
Electricity-production: NA kWh
@Midway Islands:Transportation
Highways: total: 32 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Pipelines: 7.8 km
Ports and harbors: Sand Island
Airports: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Midway Islands:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Midway Islands:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
MOLDOVA
@Moldova:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area: total: 33,700 sq km land: 33,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii
Land boundaries: total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain: rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Nistru River 2 m highest point: Mount Balaneshty 430 m
Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum
Land use: arable land: 53% permanent crops: 14% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 13% other: 7% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 3,110 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: landlocked
@Moldova:People
Population: 4,457,729 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25% (male 568,609; female 548,837) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,394,604; female 1,514,749) 65 years and over: 10% (male 159,972; female 270,958) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.04% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 14.35 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 12.42 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 43.72 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.32 years male: 59.61 years female: 69.27 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Ethnic groups: Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 figures) note: internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Nistru region and Gagauz Turks in the south
Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian
Languages: Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.)
@Moldova:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia
Data code: MD
Government type: republic
National capital: Chisinau
Administrative divisions: previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution of 1994
Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991
Constitution: new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and OSCE documents
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC (since 15 January 1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA April 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 1996; runoff election 1 December 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament election results: Petru LUCINSCHI ran against Mircea SNEGUR and was elected president; percent of vote-LUCINSCHI 54%, SNEGUR 46%; Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC was appointed by the president 15 January 1997 and was elected by a parliamentary vote of 75-15 on 24 January 1997
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (104 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held 22 March 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDAM 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, FPCDM 9; note-seats as of June-July 1995 were as follows: PDAM 45, PSM/UN 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, PRCM 11, FPCDM 9 note: the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Popular Front or FPCDM (formerly Moldovan Popular Front) [Iurie ROSCA, chairman]; Socialist Unity Faction or US of the Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM; Social Democratic Party of Moldova or PSDM [Oazu NANTOI, chairman]; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova or PDAM [Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman]; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; Liberal Party of Moldova or PLM [Mircea RUSU, chairman]; Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM [Valeriu SENIC and Victor MOREV, cochairmen]; Party of Rivival and Conciliation of Moldova or PRCM [Mircea SNEGUR, chairman]; Moldovan Party of Democratic Forces or PFDM [Valeriu MATEI, chairman]; Party for Social Progress or PPSM [Eugen SOBOR, chairman]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONTIN, first chairman]; Civic Unity [Vladimir SOLONARI]; Moldovan National Peasant Party or PNTM [Simeon CERTAN]; Party of People's Social Justice [Maricica LITVITCHI]; Party for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova or PMDP [Dumitru DIACOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders: The Ecology Movement of Moldova or EMM [Alecu RENITSA, chairman]; The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova or CDLWM [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; National Christian Party of Moldova or NCPM [V. NIKU, leader]; The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky or GKh [S. GULGAR, leader]; The Democratic Party of Gagauzia or DPG [G. SAVOSTIN, chairman]; The Alliance of Working People of Moldova or AWPM [G. POLOGOV, president]; Liberal Convention of Moldova (now the Liberal Party); Association of Victims of Repression [Alexander USATIUC]; Christian Democratic Youth Organization [Valeriu BARBA]; National Youth League [Valeriu STRELETS]; Union of Youth of Moldova [Petru GAVTON]
International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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 Nicolae TAU chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Todd STEWART embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie #103, Chisinau 277014 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address-American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72, RNX 548 (plus extension) FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44
Flag description: same color scheme as Romania-three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow
@Moldova:Economy
Economy-overview: Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan Government has recently been making progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda. As part of its reform efforts, Moldova introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. The IMF has suspended payment on Moldova's Extended Fund Facility since November 1997, due to concerns about the budget deficit and money supply growth. In late December Parliament agreed to a lower 1998 budget deficit to address IMF and World Bank concerns.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$10.8 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -2% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,400 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 42% industry: 36% services: 22% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 11.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force: total: 2.42 million (1995) by occupation: agriculture 46.1%, industry 13.9%, other 40.0% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 1.4% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (March 1997)
Budget: revenues: $570 million expenditures: $641 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1997 est.)
Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: -2% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 2.906 million kW (1997)
Electricity-production: 1.5 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 324 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture-products: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; meat, milk
Exports: total value: $816 million (1997) commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany
Imports: total value: $1.16 billion (1997) commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany
Debt-external: more than $1 billion (1997)
Economic aid: recipient: IMF and World Bank, $512 million (1992-97)
Currency: the Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993
Exchange rates: lei (MLD) per US$1 (end of period)-4.6870 (January 1997), 4.6628 (1997), 4.6743 (1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993), 0.4145 (1992); period average-4.6758 (January 1998), 81.6637 (1997), 4.6045 (1996), 4.4958 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 600,000 (1996 est.)
Telephone system: telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991 est.); since 1997, Chisinau has been considering privatizing its state-owned telephone company domestic: NA international: international connections to other former Soviet republics by landline and microwave radio relay through Ukraine and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Eutelsat and 1 Intelsat; first fiber optic cable installed between Moldova and Romania
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 5, shortwave NA (1994)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (one national and one private) (1995)
Televisions: NA
@Moldova:Transportation
Railways: total: 1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Highways: total: 12,300 km paved: 10,738 km unpaved: 1,562 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 424 km (1994)
Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 26 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (1994 est.)
@Moldova:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 1,145,260 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 902,238 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 38,082 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 203 million lei (1995); note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Moldova:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine-including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina-are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and Russia
MONACO
@Monaco:Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy
Geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 24 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 1.95 sq km land: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 4.4 km border countries: France 4.4 km
Coastline: 4.1 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Agel 140 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (urban area)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: second smallest independent state in world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban
@Monaco:People
Population: 32,035 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17% (male 2,730; female 2,659) 15-64 years: 64% (male 9,934; female 10,463) 65 years and over: 19% (male 2,300; female 3,949) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.4% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 10.71 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 11.86 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.41 years male: 74.79 years female: 82.21 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s) adjective: Monegasque or Monacan
Ethnic groups: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Literacy: NA
@Monaco:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Principality of Monaco conventional short form: Monaco local long form: Principaute de Monaco local short form: Monaco
Data code: MN
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Monaco
Administrative divisions: 4 quarters (quartiers, singular-quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo
Independence: 1419 (rule by the House of Grimaldi)
National holiday: National Day, 19 November
Constitution: 17 December 1962
Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958) head of government: Minister of State Michel LEVEQUE (since 3 February 1997) cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the prince elections: none; the prince is a hereditary monarch; minister of state appointed by the prince from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council or Conseil National (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 24 and 31 January 1993 (next to be held NA January 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-National and Democratic Union 15, other 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme, judges named by the prince on the basis of nominations by the National Council
Political parties and leaders: National and Democratic Union or UND [Jean-Louis CAMPORA]
International organization participation: ACCT, ECE, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Monaco does not have an embassy in the US consulate(s): New York honorary consulate(s) general: Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) honorary consulate(s): Dallas, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) is accredited to Monaco
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
@Monaco:Economy
Economy-overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. About 55% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$800 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$25,000 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: total: 30,540 (1 January 1994)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $623.3 million expenditures: $638.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 10,000 kW standby note: electricity imported from France
Electricity-production: NA kWh
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: none
Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France
Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid: $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: 53,180 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: automatic telephone system domestic: NA international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 33,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 24,000 (1994 est.)
@Monaco:Transportation
Railways: total: 1.7 km standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways: total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Monaco
Merchant marine: none
Airports: linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service
@Monaco:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@Monaco:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
MONGOLIA
@Mongolia:Geography
Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 1.565 million sq km land: 1.565 million sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: total: 8,114 km border countries: China 4,673 km, Russia 3,441 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m highest point: Tavan Bogd Uul 4,374 m
Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 80% forests and woodland: 9% other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms can occur in the spring; grassland fires
Environment-current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; policies of the former communist regime promoting rapid urbanization and industrial growth have raised concerns about their negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal and the concentration of factories in Ulaanbaatar have severely polluted the air; deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
@Mongolia:People
Population: 2,578,530 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 37% (male 483,795; female 468,700) 15-64 years: 59% (male 764,665; female 764,825) 65 years and over: 4% (male 41,488; female 55,057) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.54% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 23.56 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.19 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 66.34 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.46 years male: 59.4 years female: 63.61 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s) adjective: Mongolian
Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religions: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4% note: previously limited religious activity because of communist regime
Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 88.6% female: 77.2% (1988 est.)
@Mongolia:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Mongolia local long form: none local short form: Mongol Uls former: Outer Mongolia
Data code: MG
Government type: republic
National capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular-aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular-hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China)
National holiday: National Day, 11 July (1921)
Constitution: 12 February 1992
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Tsahiagiyn ELBEGDORJ (since 23 April 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural elections: president nominated by parties in the State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 18 May 1997 (next to be held summer 2001); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural election results: Natsagiyn BAGABANDI elected president; percent of vote-Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (MPRP) 60.8%, Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (MNDP and MSDP) 29.8%, Jambyn GOMBOJAV (MUTP) 6.6%; following a vote of no-confidence against former Prime Minister Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN, Tsahiagiyn ELBEGDORJ was elected prime minister on 23 April 1998 by a vote in the State Great Hural of 61 to 6 (nine members abstained)
Legislative branch: unicameral State Great Hural (76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-DUC 66%, MPRP 33%, MCP 1%; seats by party - DUC 50 (MNDP 34, MSDP 13, independents 3), MPRP 25, MCP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts, judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts for approval by the Great Hural
Political parties and leaders: Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), N. ENKHBAYAR, general secretary; Democratic Union Coalition (DUC), Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN, general secretary (includes Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP, T. ELBEGDORJ, chairman; Mongolian Social Democratic Party or MSDP, Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ, chairman; Green Party, NYAM; and Mongolian Democratic Party of Believers or MDPB, leader NA); Mongolian Conservative Party (MCP), JARGALSAIHAN; Democratic Power Coalition, D. BYAMBASUREN, chairman (includes Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party or MDRP, BYAMBASUREN, chairman, and Mongolian People's Party or MPP, leader NA); Mongolian National Solidarity Party (MNSP), leader NA; Bourgeois Party/Capitalist Party, VARGALSAIHAN, chairman; United Heritage Party (UHP), B. JAMTSAI (includes United Party of Herdsman and Farmers, leader NA; Independence Party, leader NA; Traditional United Conservative Party, leader NA; and Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party, leader NA); Workers' Party, leader NA
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117 FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alphonse F. LA PORTA embassy: inner north side of the Big Ring, just west of the Selbe Gol, Ulaanbaatar mailing address: c/o American Embassy Beijing, Micro Region 11, Big Ring Road; PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [976] (1) 329095 FAX: [976] (1) 320776
Flag description: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ("soyombo"-a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
@Mongolia:Economy
Economy-overview: The government has embraced free-market economics, freezing spending, easing price controls, liberalizing domestic and international trade. Mongolia's severe climate, scattered population, and wide expanses of unproductive land, however, have constrained economic development. Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock. In past years, extensive mineral resources had been developed with Soviet support; total Soviet assistance at its height amounted to 30% of GDP, but disappeared almost overnight in 1990-91. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. The Mongolian leadership has been soliciting support from foreign donors, who pledged some $250 million in aid in October 1997. Economic growth picked up in 1997 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$5.6 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,200 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 34% industry: 32% services: 34% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 17.5% (1997 est.)
Labor force: total: 1.115 million (mid-1993 est.) by occupation: primarily herding/agricultural
Unemployment rate: 15% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Industries: copper, construction materials, mining (particularly coal); food and beverage, processing of animal products
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 901,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 3.15 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,303 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: wheat, barley, potatoes, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses
Exports: total value: $418 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals partners: Russia 21%, China 18% (1996)
Imports: total value: $443.4 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea partners: Russia 34%, China 15% (1996)
Debt-external: $500 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA $250 million (1998 est.)
Currency: 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1-812.09 (December 1997), 789.99 (1997), 548.40 (1996), 448.61 (1995), 412.72 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 89,000 (1995 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station-1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 220,000
Television broadcast stations: 1 (provincial repeaters 18)
Televisions: 120,000 (1993 est.)
@Mongolia:Transportation
Railways: total: 1,928 km broad gauge: 1,928 km 1.524-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 46,470 km paved: 3,730 km unpaved: 42,740 km (1997 est.) note: much of the unpaved rural road system consists of rough cross-country tracks
Waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 34 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 26 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)
@Mongolia:Military
Military branches: Mongolian People's Army (includes Internal Security Forces and Frontier Guards), Air Force
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 680,345 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 443,668 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 28,112 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $22.8 million (1992)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1% (1992)
@Mongolia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
MONTSERRAT
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Montserrat:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 100 sq km land: 100 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chances Peak 914 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 10% forests and woodland: 40% other: 30% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (full-scale eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred during 1996)
Environment-current issues: land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
@Montserrat:People
Population: 12,828 (July 1998 est.) note: demographic figures include an estimated 8,000 refugees who left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 0.23% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 14.27 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 11.91 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.6 years male: 73.83 years female: 77.4 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian
Ethnic groups: black, white
Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Languages: English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.)
@Montserrat:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Montserrat
Data code: MH
Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK
Government type: NA
National capital: Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity)
Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter's
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday of June)
Constitution: present constitution came into force 19 December 1989
Legal system: English common law and statute law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony John ABBOTT (since NA September 1997) head of government: Chief Minister David BRANDT (since 22 August 1997) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister; note-as a result of the last election, a coalition party was formed between NPP, NDP, and one of the independent candidates
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 7 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held by NA 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PPA 2, MNR 2, NPP 1, independent 2
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia); one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party (NPP), Reuben T. MEADE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MNR), Percival Austin BRAMBLE; People's Progressive Alliance (PPA), Bertrand OSBORNE; NDP
International organization participation: Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
@Montserrat:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy of this volcanic island is small and open, with economic activity centered on tourism and related services. Tourism accounts for roughly one-quarter of Montserrat's national income. The island's main export is electronic components, which are mainly shipped to the US. The agriculture sector is small; cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, and onions are grown for the domestic market; additionally, some hot peppers and live plants are exported to the US and Europe. Volcanic activity in mid-1997 led to a substantial evacuation of the southern half of the island, including the capital, Plymouth. Volcanic activity since July 1995 has resulted in the departure of an estimated 8,000 people, mainly to Antigua and Guadeloupe.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$43 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -20.2% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$5,000 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 4.8% industry: 18.4% services: 76.8% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 6.2% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 4,521 (1992); note-later substantially lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity by occupation: community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Industries: tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 4,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 15 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,178 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Exports: total value: $12.1 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle partners: US, Ireland |
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