Geography Gaza Strip

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 water: 0 sq km land: 360 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: arable land, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 28.95% permanent crops: 21.05% other: 50% (2001)

Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: droughts

Environment - current issues: desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources

Geography - note: there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (February 2002 est.)

People Gaza Strip

Population: 1,324,991 note: in addition, there are more than 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (male 332,582; female 316,606) 15-64 years: 48.3% (male 326,450; female 314,098) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 14,847; female 20,408) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 15.5 years male: 15.3 years female: 15.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.83% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 40.62 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 3.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 24.71 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.59 years male: 70.31 years female: 72.94 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Government Gaza Strip

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Economy Gaza Strip

Economy - overview: Economic output in the Gaza Strip - under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority since the Cairo Agreement of May 1994 - declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996. The downturn was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of generalized border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted previously established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS (West Bank and Gaza Strip). The most serious negative social effect of this downturn was the emergence of high unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures decreased during the next few years and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of violence, triggering tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and a severe disruption of trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas resulted in the destruction of capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Including West Bank, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israel, in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. In addition, about 80,000 Palestinian workers inside the Territories are losing their jobs. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank and Gaza Strip prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed Finance Minister Salam FAYYAD to implement several financial and economic reforms. Budgetary support, however, was not as forthcoming in 2003.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $768 million (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services: 63% (includes West Bank) (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 60% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (includes West Bank) (2001 est.)

Labor force: NA (1997)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 21%, services 66% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 50% (includes West Bank) (2003 est.)

Budget: revenues: $676.6 million expenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (includes West Bank) (2003)

Agriculture - products: olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products

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 - production: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel (2001)

Exports: $603 million f.o.b., includes West Bank

Exports - commodities: citrus, flowers

Exports - partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank

Imports: $1.9 billion c.i.f., includes West Bank

Imports - commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank

Debt - external: $108 million (includes West Bank) (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $800 million (includes West Bank) (2001 est.)

Currency: new Israeli shekel (ILS)

Currency code: ILS

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.55 (2003), 4.74 (2002), 4.21 (2001), 4.08 (2000), 4.14 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Gaza Strip

Telephones - main lines in use: 95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 320,000 (cellular subscribers in both Gaza Strip and West Bank) (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open-wire system international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation) (1997)

Televisions: NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions (1997)

Internet country code: .ps

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (1999)

Internet users: 60,000 (includes West Bank) (2001)

Transportation Gaza Strip

Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network

Ports and harbors: Gaza

Airports: 2 (2001) note: includes Gaza International Airport (GIA), inaugurated on 24 November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the September 1995 Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum; GIA has been largely closed since October 2000 by Israeli orders and its runway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Military Gaza Strip

Military branches: in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however, a Public Security Force and a civil Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA

Transnational Issues Gaza Strip

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 922,674 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Georgia

Introduction Georgia

Background: The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries AD and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th to the 13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Despite myriad problems, some progress on market reforms and democratization has been made since then. An attempt by the government to manipulate legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National Movement Party.

Geography Georgia

Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 69,700 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: No data available

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; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (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 Shkhara 5,201 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: 11.44% permanent crops: 3.86% other: 84.7% (2001)

Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes

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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

People Georgia

Population: 4,693,892 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.7% (male 461,967; female 416,898) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,480,217; female 1,607,509) 65 years and over: 15.5% (male 290,534; female 436,767) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 37 years male: 34.5 years female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.36% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 10.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.62 years male: 72.35 years female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 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: Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%

Languages: Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 100% female: 98% (1999 est.)

Government Georgia

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic local short form: Sak'art'velo

Government type: republic

Capital: T'bilisi

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika) : regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli : cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, T'bilisi, Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are shown in parentheses : autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: adopted 17 October 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9% cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); Prime Minister Zurab ZHVANIA (since 9 February 2004); note - the president is the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of government

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists); members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - National Movement-Democrats 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National Movement-Democrats 135, Rightist Opposition 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

Political parties and leaders: Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New Right [Levaii GACHECHILADZE]; Republican Party [David BERDZENISHVILI]; Rightist Opposition [Davit GAMKRELIDZE] bloc composed of Industrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA

International organization participation: BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537 telephone: [1] (202) 387-4537 chancery: Suite 602, 1101 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 0105 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 989-967/68 FAX: [995] (32) 933-759

Flag description: white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to the 14th century

Economy Georgia

Economy - overview: Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals. 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 since 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. However, the Georgian Government suffers from limited resources due to a chronic failure to collect tax revenues. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi distribution network in 1998, but collection rates are low, making the venture unprofitable. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The start of construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will bring much-needed investment and job opportunities.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.18 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.5% industry: 22.6% services: 56.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 18% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37.1 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 2.1 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 17% (2001 est.)

Budget: revenues: $603.5 million expenditures: $700.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock

Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000)

Electricity - production: 7.27 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 7.611 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 850 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 31,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Natural gas - production: 60 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 1.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 1.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance: $-365 million (2003)

Exports: $615 million (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits, tea, wine

Exports - partners: Russia 17.7%, Turkey 17.3%, Turkmenistan 12.2%, Armenia 8.6%, Switzerland 6.9%, Ukraine 6.3%, UK 5.9% (2003)

Imports: $1.25 billion (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners: Russia 14%, UK 12.9%, Turkey 9.9%, Azerbaijan 8.3%, US 8%, Germany 7.3%, Ukraine 7%, France 4.9% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $190.7 million (2003)

Debt - external: $1.8 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient: ODA $150 million (2000 est.)

Currency: lari (GEL)

Currency code: GEL

Exchange rates: lari per US dollar - 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002), 2.073 (2001), 1.9762 (2000), 2.0245 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Georgia

Telephones - main lines in use: 650,500 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 522,300 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available international: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 3.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 12 (plus repeaters) (1998)

Televisions: 2.57 million (1997)

Internet country code: .ge

Internet hosts: 5,160 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)

Internet users: 150,500 (2003)

Transportation Georgia

Railways: total: 1,612 km (1,612 km electrified) broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified) narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2003)

Highways: total: 20,363 km paved: 19,038 km unpaved: 1,325 km (2000)

Pipelines: gas 1,697 km; oil 1,027 km; refined products 232 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi

Merchant marine: total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 855,908 GRT/1,288,812 DWT by type: bulk 20, cargo 95, chemical tanker 1, container 11, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Albania 2, Belize 2, British Virgin Islands 2, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 5, Ecuador 1, Egypt 3, Estonia 1, Germany 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 13, Israel 1, Italy 1, Latvia 4, Lebanon 3, Liberia 2, Madagascar 1, Malta 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Panama 8, Romania 6, Russia 10, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Saudi Arabia 1, Syria 31, Turkey 10, Ukraine 16, registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports: 31 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2003 est.)

Transportation - note: transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair

Military Georgia

Military branches: Ground Forces (including National Guard), Air and Air Defense Forces, Maritime Defense Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,156,302 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 906,400 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 39,570 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $23 million (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.59% (FY00)

Military - note: a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia

Transnational Issues Georgia

Disputes - international: about a third of the boundary with Russia remains undelimited, and none of it demarcated, with several small, strategic segments remaining in dispute; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan protests Georgian construction at the Red Bridge crossing and several other small segments of boundary, which remain unresolved until delimitation

Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2004)

Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Germany

Introduction Germany

Background: As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Geography Germany

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: 357,021 sq km water: 7,798 sq km land: 349,223 sq km

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: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

Natural resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Land use: arable land: 33.85% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 65.56% (2001)

Irrigated land: 4,850 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Environment - current issues: emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea

People Germany

Population: 82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.7% (male 6,197,490; female 5,879,052) 15-64 years: 67% (male 28,119,536; female 27,132,713) 65 years and over: 18.3% (male 6,096,106; female 8,999,712) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 41.7 years male: 40.4 years female: 43.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 8.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.54 years male: 75.56 years female: 81.68 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 41,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: German(s) adjective: German

Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)

Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Languages: German

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1997 est.) male: NA female: NA

Government Germany

Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany conventional short form: Germany local short form: Deutschland former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Berlin

Administrative divisions: 13 states (Laender, singular - Land) and 3 free states* (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat); 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 powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991

National holiday: Unity Day, 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 Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004) elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held 23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held September 2006) head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October 1998); Vice Chancellor Joschka FISCHER (since 17 October 1998) cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604 votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly vote 50.7%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (603 seats; elected by 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 (69 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) elections: Federal Assembly - last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006); note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD 38.5%, CDU/CSU 38.5%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.6%, FDP 7.4%, PDS 4%; seats by party - SPD 251, CDU/CSU 248, Alliance '90/Greens 55, FDP 47, PDS 2; Federal Council - current composition - NA

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)

Political parties and leaders: Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]

Political pressure groups and leaders: business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140 chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold

Economy Germany

Economy - overview: Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy- the fifth largest national economy in the world - has become one of the slowest growing economies in the entire euro zone, and a quick turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's ageing population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. The government is also starting long-needed structural reforms designed to revitalize the country's economy. In the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.271 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 31% services: 68% (2002 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 17.7% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 42.63 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4%, services 63.8% (1999)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (2003 est.)

Budget: revenues: $1.079 trillion expenditures: $1.173 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 64.2% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry

Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 544.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 506.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 43.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 44 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 85,860 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 2.813 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 404,300 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 3.081 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 327.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 22.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 94.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 6.674 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 78.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 298.3 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $57.24 billion (2003)

Exports: $696.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners: France 10.6%, US 9.3%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Austria 5.3%, Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.9%, Switzerland 4% (2003)

Imports: $585 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals

Imports - partners: France 9.2%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 7.3%, Italy 6.3%, UK 6%, Belgium 4.9%, China 4.7%, Austria 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $96.84 billion (2003)

Debt - external: NA (2000 est.)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)

Currency: euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Germany

Telephones - main lines in use: 54.35 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 64.8 million (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable facilities as well as earth stations in the INMARSAT, INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, and INTERSPUTNIK satellite systems (2001)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 77.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 51.4 million (1998)

Internet country code: .de

Internet hosts: 2,686,119 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 200 (2001)

Internet users: 39 million (2003)

Transportation Germany

Railways: total: 46,039 km (20,100 km electrified) standard gauge: 45,801 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified) narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 230,735 km paved: 230,735 km (including 11,515 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways: 7,300 km note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea (2004)

Pipelines: condensate 325 km; gas 25,293 km; oil 3,540 km; refined products 3,827 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart

Merchant marine: total: 278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,721,495 GRT/6,810,631 DWT by type: cargo 71, chemical tanker 14, container 169, liquefied gas 3, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 5, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea/passenger 7 registered in other countries: 2,295 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Finland 4, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3

Airports: 550 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 331 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 71 under 914 m: 134 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 62

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 219 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 185 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 31

Heliports: 34 (2003 est.)

Military Germany

Military branches: Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine; including Naval Air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe), Joint Support Service, Central Medical Service

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of compulsory military service) (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 20,468,942 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 17,338,435 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 484,837 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35.063 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (2003)

Transnational Issues Germany

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Ghana

Introduction Ghana

Background: Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election.

Geography Ghana

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Coastline: 539 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 16.26% permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001)

Irrigated land: 110 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts

Environment - current issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

People Ghana

Population: 20,757,032 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male 3,988,800; female 3,904,989) 15-64 years: 58.3% (male 6,030,151; female 6,071,725) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 359,042; female 402,325) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 20 years male: 19.8 years female: 20.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.36% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 24.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 55.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.27 years male: 55.36 years female: 57.22 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 30,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups: black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

Religions: Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%

Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write female: 67.1% (2003 est.) male: 82.7% total population: 74.8%

People - note: there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002)

Government Ghana

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast

Government type: constitutional democracy

Capital: Accra

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western

Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Constitution: approved 28 April 1992

Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348 FAX: [233] (21) 701-813

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

Economy Ghana

Economy - overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 35% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002. Policy priorities include tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services. Receipts from the gold sector should help sustain GDP growth in 2004. Inflation should ease, but remain a major internal problem.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $44.44 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.4% industry: 25.4% services: 39.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 24.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40.7 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 26.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 10 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)

Budget: revenues: $1.943 billion expenditures: $2.192 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber

Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 8.801 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 8.835 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 300 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 950 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 7,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 38,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 11.89 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $110 million (2003)

Exports: $2.642 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds

Exports - partners: Netherlands 11.2%, UK 10.7%, France 7.7%, Germany 6.2%, Japan 5.2%, Italy 4.6%, Turkey 4.4%, US 4.3% (2003)

Imports: $3.24 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Nigeria 13.2%, China 9.3%, UK 7.2%, US 6.1%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.5%, South Africa 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $1.469 billion (2003)

Debt - external: $7.398 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $6.9 billion (1999)

Currency: cedi (GHC)

Currency code: GHC

Exchange rates: cedis per US dollar - NA (2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.76 (2001), 5,455.06 (2000), 2,669.3 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Ghana

Telephones - main lines in use: 302,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 799,900 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)

Radios: 12.5 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations: 10 (2001)

Televisions: 1.9 million (2001)

Internet country code: .gh

Internet hosts: 407 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 12 (2000)

Internet users: 170,000 (2002)

Transportation Ghana

Railways: total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 39,409 km paved: 11,665 km unpaved: 27,744 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 1,293 km note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2003)

Pipelines: refined products 74 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema

Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 19,086 GRT/26,185 DWT foreign-owned: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1 (2004 est.) by type: petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 5

Airports: 12 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Ghana

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,391,378 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,994,600 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 244,809 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $44 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues Ghana

Disputes - international: Ghana must still deal with refugees and returning nationals escaping rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 42,466 (Liberia) (2004)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and corruption have made money laundering a problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Gibraltar

Introduction Gibraltar

Background: Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.

Geography Gibraltar

Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Geographic coordinates: 36 8 N, 5 21 W

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km

Area - comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km

Coastline: 12 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Natural resources: none

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant

Geography - note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

People Gibraltar

Population: 27,833 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 2,554; female 2,452) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 9,460; female 8,965) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 1,939; female 2,463) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 39 years male: 38.8 years female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.19% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 10.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 5.81 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.52 years male: 76.65 years female: 82.54 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar

Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans

Religions: Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)

Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Literacy: definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA

Government Gibraltar

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK

Government type: NA

Capital: Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain

Constitution: 30 May 1969

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band

Economy Gibraltar

Economy - overview: Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1998)

Labor force: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture negligible, industry 40%, services 60%

Unemployment rate: 2% (2001 est.)

Budget: revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.)

Agriculture - products: none

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 100 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 93 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 42,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Exports: $136 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%

Exports - partners: Germany 25.6%, France 24.8%, UK 14.3%, Turkmenistan 9.4%, Switzerland 7.5%, Spain 5.6% (2003)

Imports: $1.743 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Spain 26.5%, UK 14.8%, Russia 8.2%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 6.5%, France 5.3%, Germany 4.6%, Romania 4.2% (2003)

Debt - external: NA (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: NA

Currency: Gibraltar pound (GIP)

Currency code: GIP

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Communications Gibraltar

Telephones - main lines in use: 24,512 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 9,797 (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 10,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .gi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 6,200 (2002)

Transportation Gibraltar

Highways: total: 29 km paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002)

Ports and harbors: Gibraltar

Merchant marine: total: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT by type: bulk 3, cargo 69, chemical tanker 14, container 27, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2 registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, Estonia 1, France 1, Germany 92, Greece 11, Hong Kong 2, Iceland 1, Monaco 4, Norway 6, Spain 1, United Kingdom 6, United States 2

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Gibraltar

Military branches: Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Transnational Issues Gibraltar

Disputes - international: since Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum in 2003 against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement, talks between the UK and Spain over the fate of the 300-year-old UK colony have stalled; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Glorioso Islands

Introduction Glorioso Islands

Background: A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.

Geography Glorioso Islands

Location: Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 11 30 S, 47 20 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 5 sq km note: includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock water: 0 sq km land: 5 sq km

Area - comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 35.2 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical

Terrain: low and flat

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 12 m

Natural resources: guano, coconuts

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms) (2001)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system

People Glorioso Islands

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2004 est.)

Government Glorioso Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Glorioso Islands local short form: Iles Glorieuses local long form: none

Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (possession of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (possession of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy Glorioso Islands

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Communications Glorioso Islands

Communications - note: 1 meteorological station

Transportation Glorioso Islands

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Glorioso Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Glorioso Islands

Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Greece

Introduction Greece

Background: Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between royalist supporters of the king and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece was able to join NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.

Geography Greece

Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 131,940 sq km water: 1,140 sq km land: 130,800 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alabama

Land boundaries: total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km

Coastline: 13,676 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m

Natural resources: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Land use: arable land: 21.1% permanent crops: 8.78% other: 70.12% (2001)

Irrigated land: 14,220 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes

Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Geography - note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

People Greece

Population: 10,647,529 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.5% (male 792,938; female 746,119) 15-64 years: 67% (male 3,563,703; female 3,566,549) 65 years and over: 18.6% (male 873,540; female 1,104,680) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 40.2 years male: 39.1 years female: 41.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 9.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.08 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.94 years female: 81.59 years (2004 est.) male: 76.44 years

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 8,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek

Ethnic groups: Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece

Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write female: 96.5% (2003 est.) total population: 97.5% male: 98.6%

People - note: women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor

Government Greece

Country name: conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local short form: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia

Government type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974

Capital: Athens

Administrative divisions: 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Achaia, Aitolia kai Akarmania, Argolis, Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chanion, Chios, Dodekanisos, Drama, Evros, Evrytania, Evvoia, Florina, Fokidos, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ileia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Kyklades, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lefkas, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethynnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos

Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821)

Constitution: 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001

Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995) elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by February 2005); according to the Greek Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of Parliament vote - 90%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%, KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council

Political parties and leaders: Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders: General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos POLYZOGOPOLOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and Tampa consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324 telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300 chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles RIES embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country

Economy Greece

Economy - overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP 70% of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in menial jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the past two years, largely because of an investment boom and infrastructure upgrades for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite strong growth, Greece has failed to meet the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since 2000; public debt, inflation, and unemployment are also above the eurozone average. Further restructuring of the economy include privatizing several state enterprises, undertaking pension and other reforms, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $213.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6.7% industry: 22% services: 71.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 25.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25.3% (1993 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.7 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 4.39 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20%, industry 20%, services 60% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2003 est.)

Budget: revenues: $76.84 billion expenditures: $79.48 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 100.9% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries: tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 49.79 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 48.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 1.062 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 3.562 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 5,992 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 405,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 84,720 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 468,300 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 4.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 35 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 2.021 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 2.018 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 254.9 million cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $-11.33 billion (2003)

Exports: $5.899 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles

Exports - partners: Germany 12.6%, Italy 10.5%, UK 7%, US 6.5%, Bulgaria 6.2%, Cyprus 4.8%, France 4.2%, Turkey 4% (2003)

Imports: $33.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners: Germany 12.5%, Italy 12.2%, France 6.6%, Russia 6.1%, South Korea 5.4%, US 5.2%, Netherlands 5.2%, Japan 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $5.802 billion (2003)

Debt - external: $65.51 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $5.4 billion from EU (1995)

Currency: euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 365.399 (2000), 305.647 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Greece

Telephones - main lines in use: 5,205,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,936,200 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands international: country code - 30; tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 5.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)

Televisions: 2.54 million (1997)

Internet country code: .gr

Internet hosts: 208,977 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 27 (2000)

Internet users: 1,718,400 (2003)

Transportation Greece

Railways: total: 2,571 km (764 km electrified) standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2003)

Highways: total: 117,000 km paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 6 km note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2004)

Pipelines: gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos

Merchant marine: total: 793 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT registered in other countries: 2,443 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Israel 1, Italy 1, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 2, Panama 3, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, United Kingdom 2, United States 5 by type: bulk 298, cargo 57, chemical tanker 38, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 3, container 49, liquefied gas 5, passenger 10, petroleum tanker 267, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea/passenger 38, specialized tanker 3

Airports: 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 66 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 7 (2003 est.)

Military Greece

Military branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force (EPA), National Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment after reaching January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, 14 months for the Air Force, 15 months for the Navy (April 2003)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,638,949 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,004,343 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 63,496 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7,288.9 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.3% (2003)

Transnational Issues Greece

Disputes - international: Greece and Turkey have resumed discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; dispute with the Republic of Macedonia over its name

Illicit drugs: a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005



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@Greenland

Introduction Greenland

Background: The world's largest island, Greenland is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the European Union) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Geography Greenland

Location: Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Geographic coordinates: 72 00 N, 40 00 W

Map references: Arctic Region

Area: total: 2,166,086 sq km land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.)

Area - comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 44,087 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

Environment - current issues: protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

Geography - note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

People Greenland

Population: 56,384 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.5% (male 7,344; female 7,029) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 20,894; female 17,715) 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,585; female 1,817) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 33.5 years male: 34.8 years female: 31.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 15.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 17.62 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.32 years male: 65.75 years female: 72.98 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 100 (1999)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Greenlander(s) adjective: Greenlandic

Ethnic groups: Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (January 2000)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Languages: Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA note: similar to Denmark proper

Government Greenland

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Greenland local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat local long form: none

Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979