Communications Cuba



Telephones - main lines in use:

1.043 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

198,300 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; wireless service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos which effectively limits mobile cellular subscribership domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

3.9 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

58 (1997)

Televisions:

2.64 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.cu

Internet hosts:

3,664 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

5 (2001)

Internet users:

1.31 million note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet" (2007)

Transportation Cuba



Airports:

165 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 70 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 31 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 95 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 71 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 4,226 km standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km (includes 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (2000)

Waterways:

240 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 11 by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 13 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 10) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas

Military Cuba



Military branches:

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER; includes Territorial Militia Troops, MTT), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR; includes Marine Corps), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,094,388 females age 16-49: 3,024,876 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,543,044 females age 16-49: 2,481,823 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 79,945 female: 76,014 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Military - note:

the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban Army of its major economic and logistic support, and had a significant impact on equipment numbers and serviceability; the army remains well trained and professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment and the current severe shortage of fuel have increasingly affected operational capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to any regional power (2008)

Transnational Issues Cuba



Disputes - international:

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Cuba is principally a source country for women and children trafficked within the country for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation and possibly for forced labor; the country is a destination for sex tourism, including child sex tourism, which is a problem in many areas of the country; some Cuban nationals willingly migrate to the United States, but are subsequently exploited for forced labor by their smugglers; Cuba is also a transit point for the smuggling of migrants from China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and other nations to the United States and Canada tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; exact information about trafficking in Cuba is difficult to obtain because the government does not acknowledge or condemn human trafficking as a problem in Cuba; tangible efforts to prosecute offenders, protect victims, or prevent human trafficking activity do not appear to have been made during 2007; Cuba has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)

Illicit drugs:

territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999



This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008



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@Cyprus

Introduction Cyprus



Background:

A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered talks - between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004 referendum. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under direct government control, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Turkish and Cypriot Governments to reopen unification negotiations.

Geography Cyprus



Location:

Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

Geographic coordinates:

35 00 N, 33 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus) land: 9,240 sq km water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

total: 150.4 km (approximately) border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia 103 km (approximately)

Coastline:

648 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Terrain:

central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m

Natural resources:

copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use:

arable land: 10.81% permanent crops: 4.32% other: 84.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:

400 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.4 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.21 cu km/yr (27%/1%/71%) per capita: 250 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

moderate earthquake activity; droughts

Environment - current issues:

water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

People Cyprus



Population:

792,604 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 19.5% (male 78,922/female 75,523) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 275,223/female 267,798) 65 years and over: 12% (male 41,592/female 53,546) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 35.3 years male: 34.3 years female: 36.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.522% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

12.56 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.76 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 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: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.15 years male: 75.75 years female: 80.67 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.79 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 1,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Cypriot(s) adjective: Cypriot

Ethnic groups:

Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)

Religions:

Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%

Languages:

Greek, Turkish, English

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.6% male: 98.9% female: 96.3% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

6.3% of GDP (2004)

Government Cyprus



Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus conventional short form: Cyprus local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti local short form: Kypros/Kibris note: the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)

Government type:

republic note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey

Capital:

name: Nicosia (Lefkosia) geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 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:

6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts of Lefkosia (Nicosia)

Independence:

16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are only recognized by Turkey

National holiday:

Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day

Constitution:

16 August 1960 note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974 Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985, although the "TRNC" remains unrecognized by any country other than Turkey

Legal system:

based on English common law, with civil law modifications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS (since 28 February 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot head of government: President Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS (since 28 February 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and vice president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 and 24 February 2008 (next to be held in February 2013) election results: Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS elected president; percent of vote (first round) - Ioannis KASOULIDIS 33.5%, Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS 33.3%, Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 31.8%; (second round) Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS 53.4%, Ioannis KASOULIDIS 46.6% note: Mehmet Ali TALAT became "president" of the "TRNC", 24 April 2005, after "presidential" elections on 17 April 2005; results - Mehmet Ali TALAT 55.6%, Dervis EROGLU 22.7%; Ferdi Sabit SOYER is "TRNC prime minister" and heads the Council of Ministers (cabinet) in coalition with "Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister" Turgay AVCI

Legislative branch:

unicameral - area under government control: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats, 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: area under government control: last held 21 May 2006 (next to be held 2011); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held 14 December 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - AKEL 31.1%, DISY 30.3%, DIKO 17.9%, EDEK 8.9%, EURO.KO 5.8%, Greens 2.0%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 18, DISY 18, DIKO 11, EDEK 5, EURO.KO 3, Greens 1; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - CTP 35.8%, UBP 32.3%, Peace and Democratic Movement 13.4%, DP 12.3%; seats by party - CTP 19, UBP 18, Peace and Democratic Movement 6, DP 7; note - "TRNC" seats by party as of September 2006 - CTP 25, OP 3, UBP 13, DP 6, BDH 1, independents 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and vice president) note: there is also a Supreme Court in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots

Political parties and leaders:

area under government control: Democratic Party or DIKO [Marios KAROYIAN]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; European Democracy or EURO.DI [Prodromos PRODROMOU] (evolved from For Europe which merged with New Horizons); European Party or EURO.KO [Demetris SYLLOURIS]; Fighting Democratic Movement or ADIK [Dinos MIKHAILIDIS]; Green Party of Cyprus [George PERDIKIS]; Movement for Social Democrats or EDEK [Yannakis OMIROU]; Political Movement of Hunters [Michalis PAFITANIS]; Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitris CHRISTOFIAS]; United Democrats or EDI [Michalis PAPAPETROU] area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Huseyin ANGOLEMLI]; Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Kazim ONGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Serder DENKTASH]; Freedom and Reform Party or OP [Turgay AVCI]; National Unity Party or UBP [Tahsin ERTUGRULOGLU]; Nationalist Justice Party or MAP [Ata TEPE]; New Party or YP [Huseyin TURAN]; Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Oguz OZEN]; Peace and Democratic Movement or BDH [Mustafa AKINCI]; Renewal Progress Party or YAP [Ertugrul HASIPOGLU]; Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Ferdi Sabit SOYER]; United Cyprus Party or BKP [Isset IZCAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

International organization participation:

Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Andreas KAKOURIS chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873 FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710 consulate(s) general: New York note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Hilmi AKIL; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Frank C. URBANCIC, Jr. embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi, Nicosia mailing address: P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia telephone: [357] (22) 393939 FAX: [357] (22) 780944

Flag description:

white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a white field with narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which is centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star

Economy Cyprus



Economy - overview:

The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control has a market economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 78% of GDP. Tourism, financial services, and real estate are the most important sectors. Erratic growth rates over the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which often fluctuates with political instability in the region and economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy in the area under government control grew by an average of 3.6% per year during the period of 2000-06, well above the EU average. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) in May 2005 and adopted the euro as its national currency on 1 January 2008. An aggressive austerity program in the preceding years, aimed at paving the way for the euro, helped turn a soaring fiscal deficit (6.3% in 2003) into a surplus of 1.5% in 2007. As in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the country received substantial rainfall from 2001-04 alleviating immediate concerns. Rainfall in 2005 and 2006, however, was well below average, making water rationing a necessity in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$21.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$21.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$27,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.7% industry: 19.2% services: 78% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

393,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 8.5% industry: 20.5% services: 71% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

3.9% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

29 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

20.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues:: $9.996 billion expenditures:: $9.304 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

59.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.74% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.094 billion note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$43.93 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$52.09 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

Industries:

tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products

Industrial production growth rate:

3.8% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

4.52 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

4.151 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - consumption:

57,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

55,970 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

NA

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

NA

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

NA

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

Current account balance:

-$2.144 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$1.495 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, and clothing

Exports - partners:

Greece 21.1%, UK 14.3%, Germany 6.6% (2007)

Imports:

$7.84 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment

Imports - partners:

Greece 17.7%, Italy 10.2%, UK 9.6%, Germany 9.4%, Israel 6.5%, France 5.4%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

$25.9 million (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$15 million (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$6.507 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$26.97 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$13.36 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$5.419 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$48.2 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Cypriot pound (CYP); euro (EUR) after 1 January 2008

Currency code:

CYP; TRL

Exchange rates:

Cypriot pounds (CYP) per US dollar -: 0.4286 (2007), 0.4586 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)

Economy of the area administered by Turkish Cypriots:

Economy - overview: The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly 30% of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth tends to be volatile, given the north's relative isolation, bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small market size. Agriculture and services, together, employ more than half of the work force. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew around 10.6% in 2006, fueled by growth in the construction and education sectors, as well as increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the area under government control. GDP declined about 2.0% in 2007. The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the Turkish Government. Ankara directly finances around one-third of the "TRNC's" budget. Aid from Turkey has exceeded $400 million annually in recent years. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.865 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -2% (2007 est.) GDP - per capita: $11,800 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.6%, industry: 22.5%, services: 69.1% (2006 est.) Labor force: 95,030 (2007 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14.5%, industry: 29%, services: 56.5% (2004) Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: %NA Inflation rate: 11.4% (2006) Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion, expenditures: $2.5 billion (2006) Agriculture - products: citrus fruit, dairy, potatoes, grapes, olives, poultry, lamb Industries: foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, ship repair, clay, gypsum, copper, furniture Industrial production growth rate: -0.3% (2007 est.) Electricity production: 998.9 million kWh (2005) Electricity consumption: 797.9 million kWh (2005) Exports: $68.1 million, f.o.b. (2007 est.) Export - commodities: citrus, dairy, potatoes, textiles Export - partners: Turkey 40%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited Imports: $1.2 billion, f.o.b. (2007 est.) Import - commodities: vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery Import - partners: Turkey 60%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited Economic aid - recipient: under a July 2006 agreement, Turkey plans to provide the area administered by Turkish Cypriots 1.875 billion YTL ($1.3 billion) over three years (600 million YTL in 2006, 625 million YTL in 2007 and 650 million YTL in 2008); Turkey has forgiven most past aid; additionally, the EU pledged financial assistance of Euro 259 million ($388 million) in 2004, which is yet to be disbursed. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $NA Debt - external: $NA Currency (code): Turkish new lira (YTL) Exchange rates: Turkish new lira per US dollar: 1.319 (2007) 1.4286 (2006) 1.3436 (2005) 1.4255 (2004) 1.5009 (2003)

Communications Cyprus



Telephones - main lines in use:

area under government control: 376,000 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 86,228 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

area under government control: 962,200 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 147,522 (2002)

Telephone system:

general assessment: excellent in both area under government control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat)

Radio broadcast stations:

area under government control: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0 area administered by Turkish Cypriots: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios:

Greek Cypriot area: 310,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 56,450 (1994)

Television broadcast stations:

area under government control: 8 area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)

Televisions:

Greek Cypriot area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 52,300 (1994)

Internet country code:

.cy

Internet hosts:

143,099 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

6 (2000)

Internet users:

380,000 (2007)

Transportation Cyprus



Airports:

16 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports:

10 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 14,630 km (area under government control: 12,280 km; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2,350 km) paved: area under government control: 7,979 km (includes 257 km of expressways); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 1,370 km unpaved: area under government control: 4,301 km; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 980 km (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 858 by type: bulk carrier 295, cargo 182, chemical tanker 63, container 193, liquefied gas 10, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 58, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 690 (Austria 1, Belgium 2, Canada 2, Chile 1, China 10, Cuba 1, Denmark 4, Estonia 5, Germany 189, Greece 259, Hong Kong 2, India 2, Iran 10, Ireland 3, Israel 4, Italy 7, Japan 21, South Korea 1, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Netherlands 22, Norway 18, Philippines 1, Poland 18, Portugal 1, Russia 50, Singapore 3, Slovenia 4, Spain 6, Sweden 2, Syria 2, Ukraine 4, UAE 9, UK 19, US 5) registered in other countries: 256 (Antigua and Barbuda 18, Bahamas 25, Belize 1, Burma 1, Cambodia 7, Comoros 1, Georgia 1, Germany 2, Gibraltar 1, Greece 7, Liberia 63, Malta 31, Marshall Islands 37, Netherlands 8, Netherlands Antilles 21, Panama 19, Poland 1, Russia 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Samoa 1, Singapore 1, Tonga 1, Turkey 2, UK 2, unknown 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia

Military Cyprus



Military branches:

Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Forea, EF; includes air and naval elements); northern Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (GKK) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; females are not conscripted; age of military eligibility 17 to 50; length of normal service is 25 months with a minimum of 3 months (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): males age 16-49: 199,767 females age 16-49: 190,665 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): males age 16-49: 165,042 females age 16-49: 158,869 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 6,482 female: 6,208 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Cyprus



Disputes - international:

hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north; Turkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 210,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced for over 30 years) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Cyprus is primarily a destination country for a large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cyprus is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year for failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking during 2007; although Cyprus passed a new trafficking law and opened a government trafficking shelter, these efforts are outweighed by its failure to show tangible and critically needed progress in the areas of law enforcement, victim protection, and the prevention of trafficking (2008)

Illicit drugs:

minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak



This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008



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@Czech Republic

Introduction Czech Republic



Background:

Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

Geography Czech Republic



Location:

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates:

49 45 N, 15 30 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:

total: 1,989 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 815 km, Poland 615 km, Slovakia 197 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain:

Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources:

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

Land use:

arable land: 38.82% permanent crops: 3% other: 58.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:

240 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

16 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.91 cu km/yr (41%/57%/2%) per capita: 187 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

flooding

Environment - current issues:

air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution

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

Geography - note:

landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe

People Czech Republic



Population:

10,220,911 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 13.8% (male 723,521/female 684,786) 15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,653,679/female 3,619,872) 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 604,419/female 934,634) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.8 years male: 38.2 years female: 41.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.082% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

8.89 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.69 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 76.62 years male: 73.34 years female: 80.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 10 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Czech(s) adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups:

Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Languages:

Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: NA total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 15 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

4.4% of GDP (2004)

Government Czech Republic



Country name:

conventional long form: Czech Republic conventional short form: Czech Republic local long form: Ceska Republika local short form: Cesko

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Prague geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 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:

13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky, Kralovehradecky, Liberecky, Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky, Pardubicky, Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky, Vysocina, Zlinsky

Independence:

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

National holiday:

Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)

Constitution:

ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993

Legal system:

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Petr NECAS (since 9 January 2007), Martin BURSIK (since 9 January 2007), and Alexandr VONDRA (since 9 January 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last successful election held 15 February 2008 (after earlier elections held 8 and 9 February 2008 were inconclusive; next election to be held in February 2013); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaclav KLAUS reelected president on 15 February 2008; Vaclav KLAUS 141 votes, Jan SVEJNAR 111 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 17-18 and 24-25 October 2008 (next to be held in October 2010); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ODS 35, CSSD 29, KDU-CSL 7, others 8, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD 32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6; note - seats by party as of December 2007 - ODS 81, CSSD 72, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6, unaffiliated 2 (former CSSD members)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Political parties and leaders:

Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats or SNK-ED [Helmut DOHNALEK]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Jiri CUNEK]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK]; Union of Freedom-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan CERNY]; Green Party [Martin BURSIK]; Independent Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY]; Party of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK]; Path of Change [Jiri LOBKOWITZ]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]

International organization participation:

ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. GRABER embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [420] 257 022 000 FAX: [420] 257 022 809

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side note: identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia

Economy Czech Republic



Economy - overview:

The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in 2000-07 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth as the availability of credit cards and mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to around 3.3% of GDP as demand for automotive and other products from the Czech Republic remains strong in the European Union. Rising inflation from higher food and energy prices are a risk to balanced economic growth. Significant increases in social spending in the run-up to June 2006 elections prevented, the government from meeting its goal of reducing its budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2007. Negotiations on pension and additional healthcare reforms are continuing without clear prospects for agreement and implementation. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth. The pro-business Civic Democratic Party-led government approved reforms in 2007 designed to cut spending on some social welfare benefits and reform the tax system with the aim of eventually reducing the budget deficit to 2.3% of GDP by 2010. Parliamentary approval for any additional reforms could prove difficult, however, because of the parliament's even split. The government withdrew a 2010 target date for euro adoption and instead aims to meet the eurozone criteria around 2012.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$251 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$175.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$24,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.7% industry: 38.7% services: 58.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

5.36 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 4.1% industry: 37.6% services: 58.3% (2003)

Unemployment rate:

6.6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 4.3% highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

26 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

24.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $72.1 billion expenditures: $74.98 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

26% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

3.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

5.79% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$84.43 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$58.77 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$103.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry

Industries:

metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments

Industrial production growth rate:

9.8% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

82.88 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

61.52 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

26.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

10.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 76.1% hydro: 2.9% nuclear: 20% other: 1% (2001)

Oil - production:

13,530 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

207,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

27,360 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

224,600 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

172 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

8.622 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

402 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

8.628 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$4.534 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$122.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment 52%, raw materials and fuel 9%, chemicals 5% (2003)

Exports - partners:

Germany 30.7%, Slovakia 8.7%, Poland 5.9%, France 5.4%, UK 5.1%, Italy 4.9%, Austria 4.6% (2007)

Imports:

$116.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003)

Imports - partners:

Germany 31.8%, Netherlands 6.7%, Slovakia 6.4%, Poland 6.3%, Austria 5.1%, China 5.1%, Russia 4.5%, Italy 4.4%, France 4.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$278.7 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$34.59 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$74.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$86.75 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$6.058 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$48.6 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Czech koruna (CZK)

Currency code:

CZK

Exchange rates:

koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 20.53 (2007), 22.596 (2006), 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003)

Communications Czech Republic



Telephones - main lines in use:

2.888 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

13.075 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population domestic: virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)

Radios:

3,159,134 (December 2000)

Television broadcast stations:

150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:

3,405,834 (December 2000)

Internet country code:

.cz

Internet hosts:

2.434 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

more than 300 (2000)

Internet users:

4.4 million (2007)

Transportation Czech Republic



Airports:

122 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 45 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 18 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 77 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 50 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 9,597 km standard gauge: 9,597 km 1.435-m gauge (3,041 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 128,512 km paved: 128,512 km (includes 657 km of expressways) (2007)

Waterways:

664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2006)

Merchant marine:

registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Military Czech Republic



Military branches:

Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes Army and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-28 years of age for voluntary and 19-28 for compulsory military service (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,522,383 females age 16-49: 2,425,095 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,100,789 females age 16-49: 2,018,101 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 63,124 female: 59,786 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.46% of GDP (2007 est.)

Transnational Issues Czech Republic



Disputes - international:

while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the popular Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin, bordering Austria

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy



This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008



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@Denmark

Introduction Denmark



Background:

Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.

Geography Denmark



Location:

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

Geographic coordinates:

56 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km

Coastline:

7,314 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

Terrain:

low and flat to gently rolling plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand

Land use:

arable land: 52.59% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 47.22% (2005)

Irrigated land:

4,490 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

6.1 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.67 cu km/yr (32%/26%/42%) per capita: 123 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes

Environment - current issues:

air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides

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

Geography - note:

controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen

People Denmark



Population:

5,484,723 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 18.4% (male 516,735/female 490,532) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,818,681/female 1,796,753) 65 years and over: 15.7% (male 374,388/female 487,634) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 40.3 years male: 39.4 years female: 41.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.295% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.71 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.25 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

2.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.13 years male: 75.8 years female: 80.59 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.74 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish

Ethnic groups:

Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

Religions:

Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%

Languages:

Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 17 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

8.3% of GDP (2005)

Government Denmark



Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark conventional short form: Denmark local long form: Kongeriget Danmark local short form: Danmark

Government type:

constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Copenhagen geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 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: applies to continental Denmark only, not to the North Atlantic components

Administrative divisions:

metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden, Midtjylland, Nordjylland, Sjaelland, Syddanmark note: an extensive local government reform merged 271 municipalities into 98 and 13 counties into five regions, effective 1 January 2007

Independence:

first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy

National holiday:

none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day

Constitution:

5 June 1953 constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state

Legal system:

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26 May 1968) head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27 November 2001) cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Legislative branch:

unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketinget is dissolved earlier) elections: last held 13 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 26.2%, Social Democrats 25.5%, Danish People's Party 13.9%, Socialist People's Party 13.0%, Conservative People's Party 10.4%, Social Liberal Party 5.1%, New Alliance 2.8%, Red-Green Alliance 2.2%, other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 46, Social Democrats 45, Danish People's Party 25, Socialist People's Party 23, Conservative People's Party 18, Social Liberal Party 9, New Alliance 5, Red-Green Alliance 4; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch for life)

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was Christian People's Party); Conservative Party [Bendt BENDTSEN] (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party); Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; New Alliance [Naser KHADER]; Red-Green Unity List (Alliance) [collective leadership] (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party); Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER]; Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Danish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); Danish National Socialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Nazi organization) other: human rights groups

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James P. CAIN embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716 telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00 FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23

Flag description:

red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

Economy Denmark



Economy - overview:

The Danish economy has in recent years undergone strong expansion fueled primarily by private consumption growth, but also supported by exports and investments. This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity constraints are limiting growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but so far Denmark has decided not to join 15 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through 2007. The controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed in a Danish newspaper in September 2005 led to boycotts of some Danish exports to the Muslim world, especially exports of dairy products, but the boycotts did not have a significant impact on the overall Danish economy. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish living standards are among the highest in the world. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$203.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$311.9 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

1.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$37,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.3% industry: 25.7% services: 73% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.86 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2.8% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

24 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

22.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $170.6 billion expenditures: $156.8 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

26% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA

Stock of money:

$148.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$81.64 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$684.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish

Industries:

iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Industrial production growth rate:

0.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

36.99 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

34.68 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

11.38 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

10.43 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 82.7% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 17.3% (2001)

Oil - production:

313,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

190,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

320,000 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports:

164,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

1.188 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

9.223 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

4.555 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

4.517 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

70.51 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$4.279 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$101.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills

Exports - partners:

Germany 17.4%, Sweden 14.5%, UK 8%, US 6.1%, Norway 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8% (2007)

Imports:

$102 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:

Germany 21.6%, Sweden 14.4%, Netherlands 7.1%, Norway 6%, China 5.4%, UK 5.3%, Italy 4.1%, France 4% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $2.236 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$34.32 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

$492.6 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$149.7 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$166.6 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$178 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code:

DKK

Exchange rates:

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)

Communications Denmark



Telephones - main lines in use:

2.824 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6.243 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

6.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

26 (plus 51 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:

3.121 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.dk

Internet hosts:

3.642 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

13 (2000)

Internet users:

3.5 million (2007)

Transportation Denmark



Airports:

91 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 63 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 60 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 11 km; gas 4,073 km; oil 617 km; oil/gas/water 2 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,644 km standard gauge: 2,644 km 1.435-m gauge (636 km electrified) (2007)

Roadways:

total: 72,362 km paved: 72,362 km (includes 1,032 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways:

400 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 327 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 63, carrier 2, chemical tanker 78, container 84, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 42, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 4 foreign-owned: 26 (Canada 1, Germany 1, Germany 9, Greece 4, Iceland 2, Norway 3, Sweden 6) registered in other countries: 534 (Antigua and Barbuda 19, Bahamas 67, Belgium 4, Brazil 2, Cayman Islands 3, Cyprus 4, Egypt 1, Estonia 1, France 2, Germany 1, Gibraltar 7, Hong Kong 24, Isle of Man 29, Italy 3, Jamaica 2, Liberia 12, Lithuania 5, Luxembourg 1, Malta 30, Marshall Islands 10, Mexico 2, Netherlands 29, Netherlands Antilles 2, Norway 25, Panama 40, Portugal 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Singapore 87, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Spain 1, Sweden 4, Togo 1, UAE 1, UK 62, US 31, Venezuela 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Kalundborg

Military Denmark



Military branches:

Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Island Command Greenland, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,235,067 females age 16-49: 1,215,418 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,012,716 females age 16-49: 996,436 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 36,561 female: 34,603 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.5% of GDP (2006; 1.28% 2007 est.)

Transnational Issues Denmark



Disputes - international:

Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study proposals for full independence; sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland



This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008



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@Dhekelia

Introduction Dhekelia



Background:

By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.

Geography Dhekelia



Location:

Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta

Geographic coordinates:

34 59 N, 33 45 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 130.8 sq km note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves

Area - comparative:

about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

total: 103 km (approximately) border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)

Coastline:

27.5 km

Climate:

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Environment - current issues:

netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn

Geography - note:

British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

People Dhekelia



Population:

approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK Based Contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents

Languages:

English, Greek

Government Dhekelia



Country name:

conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Dhekelia

Dependency status:

a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Capital:

name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 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

Constitution:

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document

Legal system:

the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:

the flag of the UK is used

Economy Dhekelia



Economy - overview:

Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Industries:

none

Currency (code):

euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)

Communications Dhekelia



Radio broadcast stations:

AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)

Television broadcast stations:

0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)



Military Dhekelia



Military - note:

includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway



This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008



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@Djibouti

Introduction Djibouti



Background:

The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Geography Djibouti



Location:

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Geographic coordinates:

11 30 N, 43 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 23,000 sq km land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km

Coastline:

314 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

desert; torrid, dry

Terrain:

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m

Natural resources:

geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Land use:

arable land: 0.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.3 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%) per capita: 25 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Environment - current issues:

inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

People Djibouti



Population:

506,221 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.3% (male 110,089/female 109,331) 15-64 years: 53.1% (male 139,164/female 129,614) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 9,068/female 8,955) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 18.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 17.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.945% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

38.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

19.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 99.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 106.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 43.31 years male: 41.89 years female: 44.77 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.14 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

9,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

690 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Ethnic groups:

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)

Religions:

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Languages:

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 4 years male: 5 years female: 4 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

8.4% of GDP (2006)

Government Djibouti



Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Djibouti geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Independence:

27 June 1977 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Constitution:

multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

Legal system:

based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 8 February 2008 (next to be held 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH) 65

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD; Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD); Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40