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People Nepal
Population: 28,287,147 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.7% (male 5,648,959/female 5,291,447) 15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,365,526/female 7,925,941) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 513,777/female 541,497) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 20.3 years male: 20.1 years female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.17% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 30.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 65.32 deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 67.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.18 years male: 60.43 years female: 59.91 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 61,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nepalese (singular and plural) adjective: Nepalese
Ethnic groups: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census)
Religions: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census) note: only official Hindu state in the world
Languages: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census) note: many in government and business also speak English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 48.6% male: 62.7% female: 34.9% (2000-2004 est.)
Government Nepal
Country name: conventional long and short form: Nepal local long and short form: Nepal
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: name: Kathmandu geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
National holiday: note - in 2006 Parliament abolished the birthday of King GYANENDRA (7 July) and Constitution Day (9 November) as national holidays
Constitution: 9 November 1990; the government began working on an interim constitution in May 2006
Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Khadga Prasad OLI (since 2 May 2006) and Amik SHERCHAN since June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political parties elections: following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister by the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held in May 1999; note - Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but was finally reconvened in April 2006 with most of the members that were elected in 1999 election results: House of Representatives (for 1999 parliament) - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since each split into two parties
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council)
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Pashupati Shumsher RANA, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA, president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president, Sushil KOIRALA, vice president]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, party president]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI, president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Amik SHERCHAN, chairman]; Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; note - split from RPP in March 2005; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]; note - merged with People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002
Political pressure groups and leaders: Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, a.k.a. PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, deputy]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
International organization participation: AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 411-1179 FAX: [977] (1) 441-9963
Flag description: red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
Economy Nepal
Economy - overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $41.92 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $7.154 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 21% services: 41% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 10.4 million note: severe lack of skilled labor (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 76% industry: 6% services: 18%
Unemployment rate: 42% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: 31% (2003-2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 39.1% (2003-2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37.7 (FY04/05)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (October 2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.153 billion expenditures: $1.789 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05/06)
Agriculture - products: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Industries: tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (FY04/05)
Electricity - production: 2.565 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.5% hydro: 91.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 1.85 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: 111 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: 241 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 11,980 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 11,760 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports: $822 million f.o.b.; note - does not include unrecorded border trade with India (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners: India 53.7%, US 17.4%, Germany 7.1% (2005)
Imports: $2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners: India 47.7%, UAE 11.2%, China 10.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.2% (2005)
Debt - external: $3.34 billion (March 2005)
Economic aid - recipient: $424 million (FY00/01)
Currency (code): Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Currency code: NPR
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 71.368 (2005), 73.674 (2004), 76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002)
Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July
Communications Nepal
Telephones - main lines in use: 448,600 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 248,800 (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network domestic: NA international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
Radios: 840,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 130,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .np
Internet hosts: 17,789 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 175,000 (2005)
Transportation Nepal
Airports: 48 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 29 (2006)
Railways: total: 59 km narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 17,380 km paved: 9,886 km unpaved: 7,494 km (2004)
Military Nepal
Military branches: Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service); Nepalese Police Force
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 6,107,091 females age 18-49: 5,744,989 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 4.193 million females age 18-49: 3,853,102 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 308,031 females age 18-49: 286,604 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $104.9 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Nepal
Disputes - international: joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities; approximately 103,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 106,248 (Bhutan), 20,153 (Tibet/China) IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels; displacement spread across the country) (2006)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Netherlands
Introduction Netherlands
Background: The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.
Geography Netherlands
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 41,526 sq km land: 33,883 sq km water: 7,643 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
Land use: arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)
Irrigated land: 5,650 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: flooding
Environment - current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
People Netherlands
Population: 16,491,461 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 1,515,123/female 1,445,390) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,656,448/female 5,525,481) 65 years and over: 14.2% (male 994,723/female 1,354,296) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 39.4 years male: 38.6 years female: 40.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.49% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.96 years male: 76.39 years female: 81.67 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 19,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch
Ethnic groups: Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians) (1999 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41% (2002)
Languages: Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government Netherlands
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: name: Amsterdam geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: The Hague (seat of government)
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland (South Holland)
Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence: 23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)
National holiday: Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April
Constitution: adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002
Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May 2003) and Laurens Jan BRINKHORST (since 31 March 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy
Legislative branch: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be held by early 2011) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%; seats by party - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jan Peter BALKENENDE]; Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wouter BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Olaf STUGER]; Party for Freedom [Geert WILDERS]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER VLIES]; plus a few minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of a merger of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises
International organization participation: AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KRONER chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York consulate(s): Boston
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209 FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century
Economy Netherlands
Economy - overview: The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001-06, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the EU average.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $512 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $612.7 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $31,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 23.9% services: 73.9% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 7.6 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2% industry: 19% services: 79% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line: 10.5% (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30.9 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 19.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: revenues: $304.3 billion expenditures: $306.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt: 50.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 2.3% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: 92.7 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 4.3% other: 5.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 102.4 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 5.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 21.4 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 95,800 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption: 946,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 1.418 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 2.284 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 88.06 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: 85.98 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 51.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 53.56 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 18.85 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.756 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance: $50.17 billion (2006 est.)
Exports: $413.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Exports - partners: Germany 24.9%, Belgium 13%, France 9.4%, UK 9.2%, Italy 5.7%, US 4.3%, Spain 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $373.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners: Germany 16.6%, Belgium 9.3%, China 8.8%, US 7.6%, UK 5.8%, France 4.7%, Russia 4.4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $10.24 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external: $1.899 trillion (30 June 2006)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $4 billion (2003 est.)
Currency (code): 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 - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Netherlands
Telephones - main lines in use: 7.6 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 15.834 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed and well maintained domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)
Radios: 15.3 million (1996)
Television broadcast stations: 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 8.1 million (1997)
Internet country code: .nl
Internet hosts: 8,363,158 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 52 (2000)
Internet users: 10,806,328 (2004)
Transportation Netherlands
Airports: 27 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 81 km; gas 7,229 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km (2006)
Railways: total: 2,808 km standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 134,000 km (including 3,270 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways: 6,183 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2005)
Merchant marine: total: 558 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,042,775 GRT/5,016,265 DWT by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 345, chemical tanker 29, container 59, liquefied gas 12, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 157 (Australia 1, Belgium 2, Denmark 9, Finland 13, Germany 56, Ireland 10, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 7, Sweden 26, UK 19, US 13) registered in other countries: 222 (Antigua and Barbuda 14, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 24, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 4, Cyprus 18, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 29, Luxembourg 2, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands Antilles 54, Norway 3, Panama 21, Philippines 19, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 2, UK 3, US 4, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Amsterdam, Groningen, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen, Zaanstad
Military Netherlands
Military branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police, Defense Interservice Command (DICO) (2006)
Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 20-49: 3,557,918 females age 20-49: 3,470,377 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 2,856,691 females age 20-49: 2,786,495 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 99,934 females age 20-49: 95,818 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9.408 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.6% (2004)
Transnational Issues Netherlands
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: major European producer of ecstasy, illicit amphetamines, and other synthetic drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Netherlands Antilles
Introduction Netherlands Antilles
Background: Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France).
Geography Netherlands Antilles
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates: 12 15 N, 68 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 15 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 15 km
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2005)
Irrigated land: NA
Natural hazards: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
People Netherlands Antilles
Population: 221,736 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.9% (male 27,197/female 25,886) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 71,622/female 77,710) 65 years and over: 8.7% (male 7,925/female 11,396) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 32.8 years male: 31.1 years female: 34.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.79% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 14.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.03 years male: 73.76 years female: 78.41 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Dutch Antillean(s) adjective: Dutch Antillean
Ethnic groups: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
Religions: Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)
Languages: Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.7% male: 96.7% female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
Government Netherlands Antilles
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen former: Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status: an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type: parliamentary
Capital: name: Willemstad (on Curacao) geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government
Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday: Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2007) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia
Legislative branch: unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1 note: the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a coalition of several parties
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders: Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI] Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT] Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL] Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD] Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON] note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders: Unions (AVBO) and Employers Association (VBC)
International organization participation: ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
Flag description: white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
Economy Netherlands Antilles
Economy - overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.8 billion (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $16,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 83,600 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 20% services: 79% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 17% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2003 est.)
Budget: revenues: $757.9 million expenditures: $949.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004)
Agriculture - products: aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Industries: tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 1.005 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 934.7 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 70,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports: $2.076 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum products
Exports - partners: US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti 5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%, Bahamas, The 4.4% (2005)
Imports: $4.383 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners: Venezuela 50.7%, US 20.8%, Italy 4.8%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)
Debt - external: $2.68 billion (2004)
Economic aid - recipient: $21.5 million IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2004)
Currency (code): Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)
Currency code: ANG
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Netherlands Antilles
Telephones - main lines in use: 81,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 200,000 (2004)
Telephone system: general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios: 217,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and four Venezuelan channels) (2004)
Televisions: 69,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .an
Internet hosts: 19,204 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6
Internet users: 2,000 (2000)
Transportation Netherlands Antilles
Airports: 5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Merchant marine: total: 152 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,289,462 GRT/1,671,649 DWT by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 13, cargo 68, chemical tanker 3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 143 (Belgium 4, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 60, Netherlands 54, Norway 5, Sweden 5, Turkey 9, UK 3, US 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Netherlands 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad
Military Netherlands Antilles
Military branches: no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 54,200 females age 16-49: 56,868 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 45,273 females age 16-49: 47,166 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 1,720 females age 16-49: 1,657 (2005 est.)
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues Netherlands Antilles
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@New Caledonia
Introduction New Caledonia
Background: Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Geography New Caledonia
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use: arable land: 0.32% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005)
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: cyclones, most frequent from November to March
Environment - current issues: erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
Geography - note: consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls
People New Caledonia
Population: 219,246 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503) 15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 27.8 years male: 27.4 years female: 28.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 18.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.27 years male: 71.29 years female: 77.39 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Ethnic groups: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages: French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)
Government New Caledonia
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dependency status: territorial collectivity of France since 1998
Government type: NA
Capital: name: Noumea geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud
Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15 July 2005) head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004) cabinet: Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3 note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ITUC, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy New Caledonia
Economy - overview: New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.158 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15% industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (2003)
Labor force: 78,990 (including 11,300 unemployed) (2004)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 20% services: 60% (2002)
Unemployment rate: 17.1% (2004)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.6% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $856.3 million expenditures: $836.5 million (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish
Industries: nickel mining and smelting
Industrial production growth rate: -0.6% (1996)
Electricity - production: 1.675 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 76.3% hydro: 23.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 1.558 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports: $999 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners: Japan 21.1%, France 17.2%, Taiwan 11.3%, South Korea 10%, Spain 8.9%, China 7.2%, Belgium 4.5%, South Africa 4.4% (2005)
Imports: $1.636 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: France 39.3%, Singapore 17.5%, Australia 13.1%, NZ 5.3% (2005)
Debt - external: $79 million (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $525 million annual subsidy from France (2004)
Currency (code): Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)
Currency code: XPF
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.01 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications New Caledonia
Telephones - main lines in use: 55,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 134,300 (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 107,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 52,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .nc
Internet hosts: 13,962 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 76,000 (2005)
Transportation New Caledonia
Airports: 25 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Heliports: 6 (2006)
Roadways: total: 5,432 km (2000)
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)
Ports and terminals: Noumea
Military New Caledonia
Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 50,874 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 40,822 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 1,907 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues New Caledonia
Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@New Zealand
Introduction New Zealand
Background: The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Geography New Zealand
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S, 174 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 268,680 sq km land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use: arable land: 5.54% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005)
Irrigated land: 2,850 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
Environment - international agreements: party to: 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, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
People New Zealand
Population: 4,076,140 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570) 65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 33.9 years male: 33.2 years female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 13.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.81 years male: 75.82 years female: 81.93 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups: European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)
Religions: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)
Languages: English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government New Zealand
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: name: Wellington geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island
Administrative divisions: 16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the 1915 landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April
Constitution: consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including seven Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand 1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the party vote
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges appointed by the Governor-General
Political parties and leaders: ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Government - note: while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand
Economy New Zealand
Economy - overview: Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and was more than $25,500 in 2006 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports are equal to about 28% of GDP, down from 33 percent of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $106 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $98.77 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $26,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.3% industry: 26.9% services: 68.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 2.18 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 25% services: 65% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 8.3% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA (1991 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 36.2 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 22% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: revenues: $41.51 billion expenditures: $36.99 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt: 19.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: 41.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.6% hydro: 57.8% nuclear: 0% other: 10.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 38.22 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 27,860 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 150,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 30,220 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 119,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 89.62 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: 4.35 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 4.349 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 33.36 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance: $-7.944 billion (2006 est.)
Exports: $23.69 billion (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
Exports - partners: Australia 21.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 10.6%, China 5.1%, UK 4.7% (2005)
Imports: $25.23 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics
Imports - partners: Australia 20.9%, US 11%, Japan 11%, China 10.9%, Germany 4.9% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $10 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external: $47 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $276 million
Currency (code): New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code: NZD
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.55677 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications New Zealand
Telephones - main lines in use: 1,800,500 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.53 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems domestic: NA international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; 8 satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7 other
Radio broadcast stations: AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 3.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.926 million (1997)
Internet country code: .nz
Internet hosts: 1,050,197 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 36 (2000)
Internet users: 3.2 million (2005)
Transportation New Zealand
Airports: 118 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 45 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 73 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 40 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 224 km; gas 1,693 km; liquid petroleum gas 45 km; oil 280 km; refined products 288 km (2006)
Railways: total: 4,128 km narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 92,931 km paved: 59,783 km (including 171 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,148 km (2003)
Merchant marine: total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 136,361 GRT/124,972 DWT by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 2, Germany 1, Isle of Man 1) registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 4, France 1, UK 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei
Military New Zealand
Military branches: New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18 (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 17-49: 984,700 females age 17-49: 965,170 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 17-49: 809,519 females age 17-49: 802,069 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 29,738 females age 17-49: 28,523 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.147 billion (FY03/04)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (FY02)
Transnational Issues New Zealand
Disputes - international: asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see Antarctica]
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Nicaragua
Introduction Nicaragua
Background: The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt.
Geography Nicaragua
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 85 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 129,494 sq km land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the state of New York
Land boundaries: total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use: arable land: 14.81% permanent crops: 1.82% other: 83.37% (2005)
Irrigated land: 610 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note: largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
People Nicaragua
Population: 5,570,129 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.4% (male 1,031,897/female 994,633) 15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,677,633/female 1,691,353) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 76,758/female 97,855) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 20.9 years male: 20.5 years female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.89% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 24.51 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 28.11 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.63 years male: 68.55 years female: 72.81 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)
Languages: Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.5% male: 67.2% female: 67.8% (2003 est.)
Government Nicaragua
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua
Government type: republic
Capital: name: Managua geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 9 January 1987; reforms in 1995 and 2000
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term so long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011) election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president - 38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%, Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; members are elected by proportional representation and party lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election) elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election), MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon]; Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Christian Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo]; Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Dora Maria TELLEZ]; Unity Alliance or AU
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including - Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups
International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: vacant chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: P.O. Box 327 telephone: [505] 266-6010 FAX: [505] 266-3861
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
Economy Nicaragua
Economy - overview: Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has low per capita income and widespread underemployment. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in November 2006 obtained over $800 million in debt relief from the Inter-American Development Bank. In October 2005, Nicaragua ratified the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. Energy shortages, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $16.83 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $4.816 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.3% industry: 25.8% services: 56.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 2.261 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30.5% industry: 17.3% services: 52.2% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.8% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 45% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 55.1 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 29.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: revenues: $945.3 million expenditures: $1.254 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt: 82.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters
Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.766 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 83.9% hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 2.573 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 22 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 23 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 14,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 25,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: 758.9 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: 15,560 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance: $-883 million (2006 est.)
Exports: $1.714 billion f.o.b.; note - includes free trade zones (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
Exports - partners: US 34.1%, El Salvador 14.3%, Honduras 7.9%, Costa Rica 6.1%, Guatemala 5.2%, Mexico 5.1%, Spain 4.2% (2005)
Imports: $3.202 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products
Imports - partners: US 20.1%, Venezuela 11.9%, Costa Rica 8.9%, Mexico 8.3%, Guatemala 7%, El Salvador 5.1%, Japan 4.5%, Ecuador 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $723 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external: $3.763 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $419.5 million (2005 est.)
Currency (code): gold cordoba (NIO)
Currency code: NIO
Exchange rates: gold cordobas per US dollar - 17.5815 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105 (2003), 14.251 (2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Nicaragua
Telephones - main lines in use: 220,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.119 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 320,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ni
Internet hosts: 24,452 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 140,000 (2005)
Transportation Nicaragua
Airports: 176 (2006) |
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