Geography Togo

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 1 10 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 56,785 sq km land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Coastline: 56 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 30 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources: phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Land use: arable land: 44.2% permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005)

Irrigated land: 70 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

People Togo

Population: 5,548,702 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 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321) 15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 18.3 years male: 17.8 years female: 18.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.72% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.42 years male: 55.41 years female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 10,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007)

Nationality: noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese

Ethnic groups: African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%

Languages: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Government Togo

Country name: conventional long form: Togolese Republic conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland

Government type: republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Capital: name: Lome geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes

Independence: 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

Constitution: multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Legal system: French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch: chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005 validated the succession head of government: Prime Minister Yawovi AGBOYIBO (since 16 September 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas LAWSON 1%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held 24 June 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1 note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of the Forces for Change and the Action Committee for Renewal

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO]; Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA; Democratic Party for Renewal or PDR; Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]; Union of Forces for a Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: [vacant] chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David B. DUNN embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94 FAX: [228] 221 79 52

Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Togo

Economy - overview: This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on follow-through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Togo is working with donors to write a PRGF that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $9.248 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $2.109 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,700 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 39.5% industry: 20.4% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 1.302 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 22.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $260.2 million expenditures: $311 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 286.2 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.7% hydro: 1.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 929.2 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 663 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 14,000 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.)

Current account balance: $-261.9 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $868.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners: Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali 7.3%, India 5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Imports: $1.208 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Imports - partners: France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $333.9 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $2 billion (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $80 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code: XOF

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 525.817 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Togo

Telephones - main lines in use: 58,600 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 443,600 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile cellular system domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 73,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tg

Internet hosts: 520 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2001)

Internet users: 300,000 (2005)

Transportation Togo

Airports: 9 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Railways: total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 7,520 km paved: 2,376 km unpaved: 5,144 km (1999)

Waterways: 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005)

Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals: Kpeme, Lome

Military Togo

Military branches: Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,102,661 females age 18-49: 1,124,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 696,933 females age 18-49: 707,821 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $29.98 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.6% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Togo

Disputes - international: in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; in 2006 14,000 Togolese refugees remain in Benin and Ghana out of the 40,000 who fled there in 2005

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 8,000 (Ghana) IDPs: 1,500 (2006)

Trafficking in persons: current situation: Togo is a source, transit, and destination country for children, women, and men trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; the majority of victims are children, and trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international trafficking; children are trafficked to work as domestic servants, produce porters, roadside sellers, agricultural laborers, and for sexual exploitation; Togolese women may be trafficked to Europe for forced labor and sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Togo is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for failure to show evidence of increased efforts to combat trafficking over the past year, particularly in the areas of prosecution and protection

Illicit drugs: transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



======================================================================



@Tokelau

Introduction Tokelau

Background: Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Geography Tokelau

Location: Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 9 00 S, 172 00 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 10 sq km land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 101 km

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

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrain: low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use: arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile) permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Environment - current issues: very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand

Geography - note: consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three meters above sea level

People Tokelau

Population: 1,392 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% 15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate: total: NA male: NA female: NA

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Tokelauan(s) adjective: Tokelauan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian

Religions: Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2% note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Languages: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

Literacy: NA

Government Tokelau

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

Dependency status: self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self-governance, in February 2006, did not produce the two thirds majority vote necessary for changing the current political status

Government type: NA

Capital: none; each atoll has its own administrative center time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (territory of New Zealand)

Independence: none (territory of New Zealand)

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution: administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970

Legal system: New Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006) head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders) cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term

Legislative branch: unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats, Atafu has 8 seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leaders: none

Political pressure groups and leaders: none

International organization participation: PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of New Zealand)

Flag description: the flag of New Zealand is used

Economy Tokelau

Economy - overview: Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services, with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.5 million (1993 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): NA

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,000 (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Labor force: 440 (2001)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Budget: revenues: $430,800 expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)

Agriculture - products: coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish

Industries: small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

Exports: $0 f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: stamps, copra, handicrafts

Exports - partners: New Zealand (2004)

Imports: $969,200 c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, building materials, fuel

Imports - partners: New Zealand (2004)

Debt - external: $0

Economic aid - recipient: about $4 million annually from New Zealand

Currency (code): New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code: NZD

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Tokelau

Telephones - main lines in use: 300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (2001)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system; domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: 1 radio station provides service to all islands (2002)

Radios: 1,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tk

Internet hosts: 298 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Tokelau

Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only

Military Tokelau

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $66.72 million

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Transnational Issues Tokelau

Disputes - international: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



======================================================================



@Tonga

Introduction Tonga

Background: Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Geography Tonga

Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 175 00 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km

Area - comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 419 km

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

Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Natural resources: fish, fertile soil

Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou

Environment - current issues: deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

People Tonga

Population: 114,689 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843) 15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 20.7 years male: 20.1 years female: 21.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 25.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.28 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.82 years male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3 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: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans

Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Languages: Tongan, English

Literacy: definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.)

Government Tonga

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga local long form: Pule'anga Tonga local short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: name: Nuku'alofa geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution: 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967

Legal system: based on English law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006) cabinet: Cabinet currently consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including 2 each from the nobles and peoples representatives serving three year terms note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms) elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council)

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga

Flag description: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy Tonga

Economy - overview: Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $178.5 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $244 million (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23% industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)

Labor force: 33,910 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13% (FY03/04 est.)

Population below poverty line: 24% (FY03/04)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.1% (2005 est.)

Budget: revenues: $56.97 million expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY04/05)

Agriculture - products: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Industries: tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 41 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 38.13 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 900 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.)

Current account balance: $-4.321 million (FY04/05)

Exports: $34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

Exports - partners: Japan 41.8%, US 33.4%, NZ 6.3% (2005)

Imports: $122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners: NZ 33.4%, Fiji 26.6%, Australia 10.5%, US 8.4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $40.83 million (yearend)

Debt - external: $80.7 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient: $19.3 million Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02) (2004)

Currency (code): pa'anga (TOP)

Currency code: TOP

Exchange rates: pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Communications Tonga

Telephones - main lines in use: 11,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 16,400 (2004)

Telephone system: general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television domestic: fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios: 61,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (2004)

Televisions: 2,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .to

Internet hosts: 18,775 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 3,000 (2004)

Transportation Tonga

Airports: 6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways: total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999)

Merchant marine: total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Nuku'alofa

Military Tonga

Military branches: Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 25,420 females ag3 18-49: 24,827 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 19,840 females age 18-49: 21,342 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males ag3 18-49: 1,586 females age 18-49: 1,538 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA

Transnational Issues Tonga

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



======================================================================



@Trinidad and Tobago

Introduction Trinidad and Tobago

Background: First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Geography Trinidad and Tobago

Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates: 11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 362 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use: arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2005)

Irrigated land: 40 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

People Trinidad and Tobago

Population: 1,065,842 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 109,936/female 104,076) 15-64 years: 71.3% (male 398,657/female 361,093) 65 years and over: 8.6% (male 41,162/female 50,918) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 31.2 years male: 30.8 years female: 31.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.87% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 12.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 10.57 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -11.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 25.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.76 years male: 65.71 years female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,900 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups: Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Trinidad and Tobago

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: name: Port-of-Spain geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, 1 ward regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin ward: Tobago

Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution: 1 August 1976

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held in by January 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 43%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members serving four-year terms; last election held January 2005; seats by party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London

Political parties and leaders: Congress of the People [Winston Dookeran]; Democratic National Alliance or DNA (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND) [Gerald YETMING]; Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note - only active in Tobago

Political pressure groups and leaders: Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Flag description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side

Economy Trinidad and Tobago

Economy - overview: Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from a growing trade surplus. Economic growth in 2006 reached 12.6% as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas remained high, and foreign direct investment continued to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $20.99 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $14.99 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 12.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $19,700 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.7% industry: 57.7% services: 41.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 618,000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 9.5%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 14% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 21% (1992 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $6.591 billion expenditures: $5.649 billion; including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (2006 est.)

Public debt: 36.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 17% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 6.049 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 5.626 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 150,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption: 34,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

Natural gas - production: 28.09 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 14.15 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 13.94 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 733 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $3.259 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $12.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners: US 68.6%, Jamaica 5.4%, Barbados 2.9% (2005)

Imports: $8.798 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals

Imports - partners: US 27.2%, Venezuela 13.1%, Brazil 13.1%, Japan 5.4%, Canada 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.888 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $2.838 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $24 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code): Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code: TTD

Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2944 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use: 323,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 800,000 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios: 680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (2005)

Televisions: 425,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tt

Internet hosts: 30,732 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)

Internet users: 160,000 (2005)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Airports: 6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Pipelines: condensate 253 km; gas 1,278 km; oil 571 km (2006)

Roadways: total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1999)

Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760 GRT/7,941 DWT by type: liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 1 (US 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard (includes air wing) (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 290,715 females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 202,958 females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $66.72 million (2003 est.)

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

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international: In April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issues a decision that delimits a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compels Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limits Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



======================================================================



@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background: Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use: arable land: 17.05% permanent crops: 13.08% other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land: 3,940 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: 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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population: 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 27.8 years male: 27.3 years female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.12 years male: 73.4 years female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2007)

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.3% male: 83.4% female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Government Tunisia

Country name: conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis

Government type: republic

Capital: name: Tunis geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 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

Administrative divisions: 24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal except for active duty military

Executive branch: chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch: bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms) elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011) election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: 18 October Group [collective leadership]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]; note - the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism. Increased rain helped to push GDP growth to an average rate of 5% in 2003-06. However, a recession in agriculture, weak expansion in the tourism and textile sectors, and increasing import costs due to rising world energy prices cut growth to 4% in 2006. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $87.88 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $32.95 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.8% industry: 31% services: 56.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 3.502 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 55% industry: 23% services: 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13.9% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 7.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.6% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 22.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $7.728 billion expenditures: $8.734 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt: 57.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Industrial production growth rate: 4.7% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 11.81 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 10.97 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 15 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 5 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 81,530 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 89,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 1.7 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production: 2.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 3.7 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 1.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 77.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-760 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $11.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners: France 30.8%, Italy 21%, Germany 9.3%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.4% (2005)

Imports: $13.89 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners: France 25.8%, Italy 23.1%, Germany 9.6%, Spain 5.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.646 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $18.37 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $328 million (2004)

Currency (code): Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code: TND

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.31281 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,257,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 5.681 million (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 920,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .tn

Internet hosts: 428 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 953,800 (2005)

Transportation Tunisia

Airports: 30 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)

Railways: total: 2,153 km standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Roadways: total: 19,232 km paved: 12,655 km (including 262 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,577 km (2004)

Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4 (2006)

Ports and terminals: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira

Military Tunisia

Military branches: Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 20-49: 2,441,741 females age 20-49: 2,406,362 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 2,035,431 females age 20-49: 2,000,757 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 108,817 females age 20-49: 103,087 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $356 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Tunisia

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



======================================================================



@Turkey

Introduction Turkey

Background: Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Geography Turkey

Location: Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 780,580 sq km land: 770,760 sq km water: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 2,648 km border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline: 7,200 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain: high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 29.81% permanent crops: 3.39% other: 66.8% (2005)

Irrigated land: 52,150 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population: 70,413,958 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070) 15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female 2,607,551) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 28.1 years male: 27.9 years female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.06% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 16.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.97 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.62 years male: 70.18 years female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Europe part of Turkey

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 94.3% female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government Turkey

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital: name: Ankara geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel (Mersin), Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May 2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60% note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third ballot

Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next is scheduled to be held 4 November 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister, on 14 March 2003 election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%, DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, GP 7.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other; seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by party as of 1 December 2006 - AKP 354, CHP 154, Anavatan 21, DYP 4, SHP 1, HYP 1, GP 1, independents 9, vacant 5

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders: Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party) or Anavatan [Erkan MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic Society Party or DTP [Ahmet TURK]; Felicity Party (sometimes translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Recai KUTAN]; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP (sometimes translated as Nationalist Movement Party) [Devlet BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP [Yasar Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]; Young Party or GP [Cem Cengiz UZAN] note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Ismail Hakki TOMBUL]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Tugurl KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation: AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Economy Turkey

Economy - overview: Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still accounts for more than 35% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition in international markets with the end of the global quota system. However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electronics industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. The economy is turning around with the implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%, followed by roughly 5% annual growth in 2005-06. Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low, but climbed back to 9.8% in 2006. Despite the strong economic gains in 2002-06, which were largely due to renewed investor interest in emerging markets, IMF backing, and tighter fiscal policy, the economy is still burdened by a high current account deficit and high debt. The public sector fiscal deficit exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest payments, which accounted for about 37% of central government spending in 2004. Prior to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost FDI. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 billion barrels per day from the Caspian to market.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $627.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $358.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.2% industry: 29.4% services: 59.4% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 24.8 million note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 35.9% industry: 22.8% services: 41.2% (3rd quarter)

Unemployment rate: 10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 20% (2002)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 30.7% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 42 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 20.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $112.3 billion expenditures: $121.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt: 64.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock

Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 143.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 79.3% hydro: 20.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 140.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports: 1.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 500 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 50,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption: 715,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports: 46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 688 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 22.6 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 21.73 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-25.99 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $85.21 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment

Exports - partners: Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France 5.2%, Spain 4.1% (2005)

Imports: $120.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment

Imports - partners: Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%, France 5%, US 4.6%, UK 4% (2005)