 |
Economy Vanuatu
Economy - overview:
This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with more than 60,000 visitors in 2005, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to boost tourism through improved air connections, resort development, and cruise ship facilities. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$897 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$455 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
76,410 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.7% (1999)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $78.7 million expenditures: $72.23 million (2005)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.16% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$107.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$421.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$229.5 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish
Industries:
food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
46 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
39.99 million 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 (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
660 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
671.1 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$60 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$40 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
Exports - partners:
Thailand 58.3%, India 18.5%, Japan 11.3% (2007)
Imports:
$156 million c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Imports - partners:
Australia 20.7%, Singapore 11.8%, NZ 11.2%, Norway 8.5%, US 8.3%, Fiji 8.1%, China 7.2%, New Caledonia 4.5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$39.48 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$40.54 million (2003)
Debt - external:
$81.2 million (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
vatu (VUV)
Currency code:
VUV
Exchange rates:
vatu (VUV) per US dollar - NA (2007), 111.93 (2006), NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19 (2003)
Communications Vanuatu
Telephones - main lines in use:
8,800 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
26,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
67,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2004)
Televisions:
2,300 (1999)
Internet country code:
.vu
Internet hosts:
990 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
17,000 (2007)
Transportation Vanuatu
Airports:
31 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 22 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
total: 54 by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 54 (Australia 2, Belgium 4, Canada 5, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Japan 29, Monaco 1, Poland 7, Russia 2, Switzerland 1, US 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
Military Vanuatu
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF; includes Police Maritime Wing (PMW)) (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 58,900 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 40,577 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,385 female: 2,290 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues Vanuatu
Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Venezuela
Introduction Venezuela
Background:
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, seeks to implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Geography Venezuela
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline:
2,800 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use:
arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.88% other: 96.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,750 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1,233.2 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.37 cu km/yr (6%/7%/47%) per capita: 313 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, 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:
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
People Venezuela
Population:
26,414,816 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 4,162,862/female 4,034,044) 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 8,299,266/female 8,562,290) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 602,725/female 753,628) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.2 years male: 24.6 years female: 25.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.498% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
20.92 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.1 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.45 years male: 70.4 years female: 76.65 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.52 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups:
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
Languages:
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 93.3% female: 92.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years male: 11 years female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
3.7% of GDP (2006)
Government Venezuela
Country name:
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Caracas geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time difference: UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence:
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution:
30 December 1999
Legal system:
open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012) note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this constitution election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela) elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0; total seats by party as of 1 January 2008 - pro-government 152 (PSUV 114, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), PODEMOS 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Political parties and leaders:
A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Jeronimo CARRERA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angelo SANTOS chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John CAULFIELD embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080 mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (212) 975-6411, 907-8400 (after hours) FAX: [58] (212) 907-8199
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
Economy Venezuela
Economy - overview:
Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90% of export earnings, more than 50% of the federal budget revenues, and around 30% of GDP. A nationwide strike between December 2002 and February 2003 had far-reaching economic consequences - real GDP declined by around 9% in 2002 and 8% in 2003 - but economic output since then has recovered strongly. Fueled by high oil prices, record government spending helped to boost GDP in 2006 by about 9% and in 2007 by about 8%. This spending, combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic credit, has created a consumption boom but has come at the cost of higher inflation-roughly 20 percent in 2007. Imports also have jumped significantly. Embolden by his December 2006 reelection, President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2007 nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and electricity sectors, which reduced foreign influence in the economy. Although voters in December 2007 rejected CHAVEZ's proposed constitutional changes, CHAVEZ still has significant control of the economy and has indicated he intends to continue to consolidate and centralize authority over the economy by implementing "21st Century Socialism."
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$334.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$236.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8% industry: 38.4% services: 57.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
12.37 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13% industry: 23% services: 64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
37.9% (end 2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 35.2% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.2 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $65.83 billion expenditures: $58.9 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
19.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
28.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.11% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$63.18 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$8.889 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$50.24 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries:
petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
3.9% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
110.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
83.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
542 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 31.7% hydro: 68.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
2.667 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
738,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
2.203 million bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
87.04 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
26.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
26.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.708 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$20 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$69.17 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners:
US 42.7%, Netherlands Antilles 8%, China 3.1% (2007)
Imports:
$45.46 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 26.6%, Colombia 13.5%, Brazil 9.5%, China 6.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Panama 5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$48.66 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$33.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$43.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$43.96 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$13.81 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$8.251 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
bolivar (VEB)
Currency code:
VEB
Exchange rates:
bolivars (VEB) per US dollar - 2,147 (2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003) note: On 1 January 2008 Venezuela revalued its currency with 1000 old bolivares equal to 1 new bolivar
Communications Venezuela
Telephones - main lines in use:
5.082 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23.82 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services; fixed-line teledensity 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity more than 90 per 100 persons international: country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios:
10.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
4.1 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ve
Internet hosts:
145,394 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
5.72 million (2007)
Transportation Venezuela
Airports:
390 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 128 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 18 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 262 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 97 under 914 m: 149 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
extra heavy crude oil 992 km; gas 5,400 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,650 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 682 km standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 96,155 km paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (2002)
Waterways:
7,100 km note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 62 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 5, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 12 (Chile 1, Denmark 1, Greece 3, Mexico 5, Panama 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 12 (Bahamas 1, Panama 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Military Venezuela
Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacionale, FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 30-month conscript service obligation - all citizens 18-50 years old are obligated to register for military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,647,124 females age 16-49: 6,801,133 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,280,974 females age 16-49: 5,768,814 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 275,323 female: 274,106 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Venezuela
Disputes - international:
claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000 Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, lured from the nation's interior to urban and tourist areas; child prostitution in urban areas and child sex tourism in resort destinations appear to be growing; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Western Europe, Mexico, and Caribbean destinations tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Venezuela is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List, up from Tier 3, as it showed greater resolve to address trafficking through law enforcement measures and prevention efforts in 2007, although stringent punishment of offenders and victim assistance remain lacking (2008)
Illicit drugs:
small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Vietnam
Introduction Vietnam
Background:
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to Vietnamese settlers.
Geography Vietnam
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 106 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline:
3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
Terrain:
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 20.14% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 72.93% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
891.2 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 71.39 cu km/yr (8%/24%/68%) per capita: 847 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Environment - current issues:
logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
People Vietnam
Population:
86,116,560 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 11,418,642/female 10,598,184) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 29,341,216/female 29,777,696) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,925,609/female 3,055,212) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.9 years male: 25.8 years female: 28 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.99% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
16.47 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.33 years male: 68.52 years female: 74.33 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.86 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague water contact disease: leptospirosis 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: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups:
Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)
Religions:
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)
Languages:
Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (1991)
Government Vietnam
Country name:
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam local short form: Viet Nam abbreviation: SRV
Government type:
Communist state
Capital:
name: Hanoi geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh
Independence:
2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution:
15 April 1992
Legal system:
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien NHAN (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last held 27 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly election results: Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 450, non-party CPV-approved 42, self-nominated 1; note - 493 candidates were elected; CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front
Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Le Cong PHUNG chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MICHALAK embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Flag description:
red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
Economy Vietnam
Economy - overview:
Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy. Economic stagnation marked the period after reunification from 1975 to 1985. In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress approved a broad economic reform package that introduced market reforms and set the groundwork for Vietnam's improved investment climate. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward a market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from 1997 to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial crisis and a global recession. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The economy grew 8.5% in 2007. Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US increased 900% from 2001 to 2007. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process. WTO membership has provided Vietnam an anchor to the global market and reinforced the domestic economic reform process. Among other benefits, accession allows Vietnam to take advantage of the phase-out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2007. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one-and-a-half million people every year. In an effort to stem high inflation which took off in 2007, early in 2008 Vietnamese authorities began to raise benchmark interest rates and reserve requirements. Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7.5-8% during the next four years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$221.1 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$70.02 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 19.5% industry: 42.3% services: 38.2% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
46.42 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55.6% industry: 18.9% services: 25.5% (July 2005)
Unemployment rate:
4.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.8% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 28.9% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed):
37.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $18.62 billion expenditures: $19.71 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
42% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.18% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$27.15 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$51.08 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$68.63 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood
Industries:
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper
Industrial production growth rate:
10.6% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
61.02 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
48.08 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 43.7% hydro: 56.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
350,700 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
271,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
394,400 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
271,100 bbl/day (2007)
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
6.86 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
6.86 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
192.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$6.993 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$48.56 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners:
US 20.8%, Japan 12.5%, Australia 7.3%, China 6.9%, Singapore 4.5% (2007)
Imports:
$58.92 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners:
China 19.9%, Singapore 12.1%, Taiwan 11%, Japan 9.9%, South Korea 8.5%, Thailand 6% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$5.4 billion in credits and grants pledged by the 2007 Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$23.87 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$21.83 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$32.74 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
dong (VND)
Currency code:
VND
Exchange rates:
dong (VND) per US dollar - 16,119 (2007), 15,983 (2006), 15,746 (2005), NA (2004), 15,510 (2003)
Communications Vietnam
Telephones - main lines in use:
10.8 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
33.2 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, scheduled for completion by the end of 2008, will provide new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios:
8.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
67 (includes 61 relay, provincial, and city TV stations) (2006)
Televisions:
3.57 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.vn
Internet hosts:
84,151 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)
Internet users:
17.87 million (2007)
Transportation Vietnam
Airports:
44 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 510 km; oil 49 km; refined products 206 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (2006)
Roadways:
total: 222,179 km paved: 42,167 km unpaved: 180,012 km (2004)
Waterways:
17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 387 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 36, cargo 280, chemical tanker 12, container 14, liquefied gas 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 2 (Hong Kong 1, Japan 1) registered in other countries: 64 (Honduras 1, Liberia 4, Mongolia 23, Panama 30, Tuvalu 5, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift
Military Vietnam
Military branches:
People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command), People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (3 to 4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Forces (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,586,328 females age 16-49: 24,335,132 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,849,274 females age 16-49: 20,575,884 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 903,734 female: 845,306 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Vietnam
Disputes - international:
southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
Illicit drugs:
minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Virgin Islands
Introduction Virgin Islands
Background:
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Geography Virgin Islands
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 1,910 sq km land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km
Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
188 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m
Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources
Geography - note:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
People Virgin Islands
Population:
109,840 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 11,698/female 11,390) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 34,035/female 38,670) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 6,312/female 7,735) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.5 years male: 38 years female: 39 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.002% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
12.29 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.92 years male: 75.9 years female: 82.11 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.88 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens) adjective: Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups:
black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)
Religions:
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages:
English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government Virgin Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI
Dependency status:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Charlotte Amalie geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Independence:
none (territory of the US)
National holiday:
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)
Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
based on US laws
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in the Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010) election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
Judicial branch:
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
IOC, UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US)
Flag description:
white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
Economy Virgin Islands
Economy - overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are small but growing components of the economy. The islands are vulnerable to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.577 billion (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
43,980 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.2% (2004)
Population below poverty line:
28.9% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2003)
Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
960 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
892.8 million 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:
17,620 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
91,680 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
398,500 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
492,300 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
NA
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
$4.234 billion (2001)
Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products
Exports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2006)
Imports:
$4.609 billion (2001)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA
Debt - external:
$NA
Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)
Currency code:
USD
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
71,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
80,300 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable connections to US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth stations - NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios:
107,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
5 (2006)
Televisions:
68,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.vi
Internet hosts:
4,610 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)
Internet users:
30,000 (2007)
Transportation Virgin Islands
Airports:
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 1,257 km (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
Military Virgin Islands
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 861 female: 897 (2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Virgin Islands
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Wake Island
Introduction Wake Island
Background:
The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon IOKE (category 5), which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the survey and assessment.
Geography Wake Island
Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands
Geographic coordinates:
19 17 N, 166 39 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
19.3 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
People Wake Island
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants note: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent along with 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conduct clean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2008 est.)
Government Wake Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island
Dependency status:
unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the US Air Force
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy Wake Island
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Communications Wake Island
Telephone system:
general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (2005)
Transportation Wake Island
Airports:
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Transportation - note:
there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency landing is available
Military Wake Island
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the island; the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Transnational Issues Wake Island
Disputes - international:
claimed by Marshall Islands
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Wallis and Futuna
Introduction Wallis and Futuna
Background:
The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.
Geography Wallis and Futuna
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
13 18 S, 176 12 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 274 sq km land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
129 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C
Terrain:
volcanic origin; low hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 7.14% permanent crops: 35.71% other: 57.15% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water resources
Geography - note:
both island groups have fringing reefs
People Wallis and Futuna
Population:
15,237 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: (male 2,215/female 1,999) 15-64 years: (male 4,982/female 4,996) 65 years and over: (male 465/female 580)
Population growth rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Death rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian
Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages:
Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.)
Government Wallis and Futuna
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna local short form: Wallis et Futuna
Dependency status:
overseas territory of France
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Administrator Philippe PAOLANTONI (since 28 July 2008) head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since January 2001) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held 22 April 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held by September 2010); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 17 June 2007 (next to be held by 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - PS 1
Judicial branch:
justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu; a court of appeal is located in Noumea, New Caledonia
Political parties and leaders:
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag
Economy Wallis and Futuna
Economy - overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force:
3,104 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80% industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.2% (2003)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $29,730 expenditures: $31,330 (2004)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
5.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2005)
Agriculture - products:
breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish
Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%
Exports:
$47,450 f.o.b. (2004)
Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials
Exports - partners:
Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2006)
Imports:
$61.17 million f.o.b. (2004)
Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
assistance from France, $NA
Debt - external:
$3.67 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)
Currency code:
XPF
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Communications Wallis and Futuna
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 681
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2000)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.wf
Internet hosts:
1 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
900 (2002)
Transportation Wallis and Futuna
Airports:
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6 foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Leava, Mata-Utu
Military Wallis and Futuna
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 172 female: 170 (2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Wallis and Futuna
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@West Bank
Introduction West Bank
Background:
The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Geography West Bank
Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)
Irrigated land:
150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Natural hazards:
droughts
Environment - current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Geography - note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites—including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 29 sites in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)
People West Bank
Population:
2,407,681 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 469,754/female 445,999) 15-64 years: 58.3% (male 719,267/female 684,790) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 36,606/female 51,265) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.2 years male: 20 years female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.225% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
25.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
3.7 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 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: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.29 years male: 72.32 years female: 76.38 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.31 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: NA adjective: NA
Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions:
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government West Bank
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank
Economy West Bank
Economy - overview:
The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.034 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.328 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8% industry: 13% services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Labor force:
605,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 18% industry: 15% services: 67% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
18.6% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
46% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $1.149 billion expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.73% (31 December 2006)
Stock of money:
$1.574 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$3.048 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.455 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Industries:
generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exports:
$301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Exports - commodities:
olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Imports:
$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$4.461 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Currency code:
ILS; JOD
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Communications West Bank
Telephones - main lines in use:
350,400 (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.026 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008)
Radios:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
30 (2008)
Televisions:
NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)
Internet country code:
.ps; note - same as Gaza Strip
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (1999)
Internet users:
355,500 (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)
Transportation West Bank
Airports:
3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 5,147 km paved: 5,147 km note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Military West Bank
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 29,866 female: 28,372 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues West Bank
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 722,000 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Western Sahara
Introduction Western Sahara
Background:
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since June 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met four times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara.
Geography Western Sahara
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates:
24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline:
1,110 km
Maritime claims:
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed elevation 805 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
Environment - current issues:
sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
People Western Sahara
Population:
393,831 note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.1% (male 90,306/female 87,498) 15-64 years: 52.6% (male 101,730/female 105,313) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,786/female 5,198) (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.868% NA (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
39.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
11.74 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
NA
Infant mortality rate:
total: 71.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 71.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 71.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.92 years NA male: 51.64 years NA female: 56.31 years NA (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA 5.69 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic groups:
Arab, Berber
Religions:
Muslim
Languages:
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy:
NA
Government Western Sahara
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara
Government type:
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara or MINURSO
Capital:
none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Suffrage:
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed
Executive branch:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none
Economy Western Sahara
Economy - overview:
Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006 the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara. |
|
