Border Guard (TGF), which is controlled by the Interior Ministry
Military manpower-military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 3,060,954
females age 15-49: 3,010,932 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,898,351
females: 1,861,976 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 67,200
females: 63,716 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: roughly 4% (1995 est.)
Military-note: Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
@Cuba:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Illicit drugs: territory serves as lesser transshipment zone for cocaine bound for the US
______________________________________________________________________
CYPRUS
@Cyprus:Geography
Location: Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 33 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 9,250 sq km (note-3,355 sq km are in the Turkish Cypriot area) land: 9,240 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area-comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 648 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters
Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Olympus 1,952 m
Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 70% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity
Environment-current issues: water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall; sea water intrusion to island’s largest aquifier; increased salinization in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Cyprus:People
Population: 748,982 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (male 94,006; female 89,256) 15-64 years: 65% (male 245,739; female 241,935) 65 years and over: 10% (male 33,989; female 44,057) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.69% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 13.93 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.51 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.97 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.79 years
male: 74.62 years
female: 79.07 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Cypriot(s)
adjective: Cypriot
Ethnic groups: Greek 78% (99.5% of the Greeks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.5% of the Greeks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), Turkish 18% (1.3% of the Turks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 98.7% of the Turks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), other 4% (99.2% of the other ethnic groups live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.8% of the other ethnic groups live in the Turkish Cypriot area)
Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4%
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94%
male: 98%
female: 91% (1987 est.)
@Cyprus:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus conventional short form: Cyprus
note: the Turkish Cypriot area refers to itself as the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC)
Data code: CY
Government type: republic
note: a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish intervention in July 1974 following a Greek junta-based coup attempt, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot “President” Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and the formation of a “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC), which has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government
National capital: Nicosia
note: the Turkish Cypriot area’s capital is Lefkosa (Nicosia)
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note-Turkish Cypriot area administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts of Nicosia and Larnaca
Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK) note: Turkish Cypriot area proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 from Republic of Cyprus
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October note: Turkish Cypriot area celebrates 15 November as Independence Day
Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the “Turkish Federated State of Cyprus,” which was renamed the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” in 1983; a new constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5 May 1985
Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Glafcos CLERIDES (since 28 February 1993); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot head of government: President Glafcos CLERIDES (since 28 February 1993); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and vice president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 February 1998 (next to be held NA February 2003) election results: Glafcos CLERIDES elected president; percent of vote-Glafcos CLERIDES 50.8%, George IAKOVOU 49.2% note: Rauf R. DENKTASH has been “president” of the Turkish Cypriot area since 13 February 1975 (“president” elected by popular vote for a five-year term); elections last held 15 and 22 April 1995 (next to be held NA April 2000); results-Rauf R. DENKTASH 62.5%, Dervis EROGLU 37.5%; Dervis EROGLU has been “prime minister” of the Turkish Cypriot area since 16 August 1996; there is a Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish Cypriot area
Legislative branch: unicameral-Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats of which only 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Greek area: last held 26 May 1996 (next to be held May 2001); Turkish area: last held 12 December 1993 (next to be held December 1998)
election results: Greek area: House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-DISY 34.5%, AKEL (Communist) 33.0%, DIKO 16.4%, EDEK 8.1%, KED 3.7%, others 4.1%; seats by party-DISY 20, AKEL (Communist) 19, DIKO 10, EDEK 5, KED 2; Turkish area: Assembly of the Republic-percent of vote by party-UBP 29.9%, DP 29.2%, CTP 24.2% TKP 13.3%, others 3.4%; seats by party-UBP (conservative) 17, DP 15, CTP 13, TKP 5; as of 13 May 1997, seats by party-UBP 18, DP 13, CTP 13, TKP 5, independent 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the Supreme Council of Judicature
note: there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish Cypriot area
Political parties and leaders: Greek Cypriot area: Restorative Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; Democratic Party or DIKO [Spyros KYPRIANOU]; United Democratic Union of Cyprus or EDEK [Vassos LYSSARIDIS]; Eurodemocratic Renewal Movement [Alexis GALANOS]; United Democrats Movement or EDI (formerly Free Democrats Movement or KED) [George VASSILIOU]; New Horizons [Nikolaos KOUTSOU, secretary general]; Ecologists [Yeoryios PERDHIKIS]; Turkish Cypriot area: National Unity Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Mustafa AKINCI]; Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]; Unity and Sovereignty Party or BEP [Arif Salih KIRDAG]; Democratic Party or DP [Serdar DENKTASH]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enuer EMIN]; New Cyprus Party of YKP [Alpay DURDURAN]; Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is
International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andros A. NIKOLAIDES chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772
FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
consulate(s) general: New York
note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot area in the US is Ahmet ERDENGIZ, office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC, telephone [1] (202) 887-6198
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth C. BRILL embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, Engomi, Nicosia mailing address: P. O. Box 4536, FPO AE 09836 telephone: [357] (2) 776400
FAX: [357] (2) 780944
Flag description: white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
note: the Turkish Cypriot flag has a horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom between which is a red crescent and red star on a white field
@Cyprus:Economy
Economy-overview: The Greek Cypriot economy is small and prosperous, but highly susceptible to external shocks. Industry contributes 22% to GDP and employs 25% of the labor force, while the service sector contributes 73% to GDP and employs 62% of the labor force. Erratic growth rates in the 1990s reflect the economy’s vulnerability to swings in tourist arrivals, caused by political instability on the island and fluctuations in economic conditions in Western Europe. The Turkish Cypriot economy has about one-third the per capita GDP of the south. Because it is recognized only by Turkey, it has had much difficulty arranging foreign financing, and foreign firms have hesitated to invest there. The economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture and government service, which together employ about half of the work force. Moreover, the small, vulnerable economy has suffered because the Turkish lira is legal tender. To compensate for the economy’s weakness, Turkey provides direct and indirect aid to nearly every sector. In January 1997, Turkey signed a $250 million economic cooperation accord with the Turkish Cypriot area to support tourism, education, and industry.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$11.19 billion (Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity-$9.75 billion; Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity – $1.44 billion) (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.4% (Greek Cypriot area: 2.5%; Turkish Cypriot area: 1.7%) (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$13,500 (Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity-$15,000; Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity-$8,000) (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: Greek Cypriot area: agriculture 4.4%; industry 22.4%; services 73.2% (1996); Turkish Cypriot area: agriculture 10%; industry 24.6%; services 65.4% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: Greek Cypriot area: 3.5% (1997 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 87.5% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: Greek Cypriot area: 299,700
by occupation: services 62%, industry 25%, agriculture 13% (1995) total: Turkish Cypriot area: 76,500 (1996) by occupation: services 66%, industry 11%, agriculture 23% (1995)
Unemployment rate: Greek Cypriot area: 3.3% (1997 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 6.4% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: Greek Cypriot area-$2.9 billion, Turkish Cypriot area-$171 million
expenditures: Greek Cypriot area-$3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $345 million, Turkish Cypriot area-$306 million, including capital expenditures of $56.8 million (1997 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
Industrial production growth rate: Greek Cypriot area: -4% (1996); Turkish Cypriot area: 5.1% (1995)
Electricity-capacity: 666,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 2.6 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 3,530 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables
Exports:
total value: Greek Cypriot area: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes
partners: Russia 19.1%, Bulgaria 16.4%, UK 11.3%, Greece 6.3%, Germany 4.8%
total value: Turkish Cypriot area: $70.5 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: citrus, potatoes, textiles
partners: Turkey 48.2%, UK 21.3%, other EU 13.7%
Imports:
total value: Greek Cypriot area: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery
partners: US 17.8%, UK 11.9%, Italy 9.7%, Germany 7.5%, Greece 7.6% total value: Turkish Cypriot area: $318.4 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: food, minerals, chemicals, machinery partners: Turkey 55.3%, UK 13.8%, other EU 11.6%
Debt-external: Greek Cypriot area: $1.56 billion (1997)
Economic aid: Greek Cypriot area: recipient-$187 million (1990-94) in grants; Turkish Cypriot area: recipient-$700 million (1990-97) from Turkey in grants and loans that are usually forgiven
Currency: 1 Cypriot pound (£C) = 100 cents; 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds per US1$-0.5326 (January 1998), 0.5135 (1997), 0.4663 (1996), 0.4522 (1995), 0.4915 (1994), 0.4970 (1993); Turkish liras (TL) per US$1-187,477 (November 1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: Greek Cypriot area: 367,000 (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 80,000 (1996 est.)
Telephone system: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot areas
domestic: open wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay international: tropospheric scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: AM 4, FM 36, shortwave 1, Turkish Cypriot area: AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: Greek Cypriot area: 500,000 (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 130,000 (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: 8 (repeaters 34); Turkish Cypriot area: 2
Televisions: Greek Cypriot area: 300,000 (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 90,000 (1996 est.)
@Cyprus:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: Greek Cypriot area: 10,415 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 2,350 km paved: Greek Cypriot area: 5,947 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 1,370 km unpaved: Greek Cypriot area: 4,468 km (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 980 km
Ports and harbors: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, Vasilikos Bay
Merchant marine:
total: 1,533 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,330,565 GRT/37,272,825 DWT
ships by type: bulk 471, cargo 568, chemical tanker 23, combination bulk 48, combination ore/oil 12, container 139, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 142, passenger 7, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 54, roll-on/roll-off cargo 42, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 2
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 45 countries among which are Greece 673, Germany 159, Russia 57, Latvia 28, Netherlands 25, Japan 24, Cuba 22, China 18, Belgium 17, and Poland 14; Cyprus owns 78 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,623,560 DWT that operate under the registries of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Liberia, Malta, Panama, and Philippines (1997 est.)
Airports: 15 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 4 (1997 est.)
@Cyprus:Military
Military branches: Greek Cypriot area: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements); Hellenic Forces Regiment on Cyprus (ELDYK); Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (TCSF), Turkish Forces Regiment on Cyprus (KTKA), Turkish mainland army units
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 192,389 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 132,252 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 6,220 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $405 million (1996)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 5.4% (1996)
@Cyprus:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas, a Greek Cypriot area controlled by the internationally recognized Cypriot Government (59% of the island’s land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (37% of the island), that are separated by a UN buffer zone (4% of the island); there are two UK sovereign base areas within the Greek Cypriot portion of the island
Illicit drugs: transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well
______________________________________________________________________
CZECH REPUBLIC
@Czech Republic:Geography
Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 78,703 sq km
land: 78,645 sq km
water: 58 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,881 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite
Land use:
arable land: 41%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 11%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 240 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geography-note: landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
@Czech Republic:People
Population: 10,286,470 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 907,744; female 864,202) 15-64 years: 69% (male 3,555,822; female 3,548,548) 65 years and over: 14% (male 541,031; female 869,123) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.11% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 8.96 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.92 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.11 years
male: 70.75 years
female: 77.65 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
note: 300,000 Slovaks declared themselves Czech citizens in 1994
Ethnic groups: Czech 94.4%, Slovak 3%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Gypsy 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 1%
Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%
Languages: Czech, Slovak
Literacy:
definition: age NA and over can read and write total population: 99% (est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Czech Republic:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika
Data code: EZ
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Prague
Administrative divisions: 8 regions (kraje, kraj-singular); Jihocesky, Jihomoravsky, Praha, Severocesky, Severomoravsky, Stredocesky, Vychodocesky, Zapadocesky
Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday: National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the Republic, 28 October
Constitution: ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 2 February 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Josef TOSOVSKY (since 16 December 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Josef LUX (since NA June 1992), Jaroslav SEDIVY (since NA January 1998), Jiri SKALICKY (since NA June 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 20 January 1998 (next to be held NA January 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaclav HAVEL elected president; percent of parliamentary vote-NA; Vaclav HAVEL received 47 of 81 votes in the Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the Chamber of Deputies (second round of voting)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Snemovna Poslancu (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate-last held 15-16 and 22-23 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 1998-to replace/re-elect 20 senators serving two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies-last held 31 May-1 June 1996 (early elections to be held NA June 1998)
election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-governing coalition (ODS 32, KDU-CSL 13, ODA 7), opposition (CSSD 25, KCSM 2, DEU 1, independent 1); Chamber of Deputies-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party – governing coalition (ODS 68, KDU-CSL 18, ODA 13), opposition (CSSD 61, KCSM 22, SPR-RSC 18)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life
Political parties and leaders: Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav KLAUS, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jiri SKALICKY, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-Czech People’s Party or KDU-CSL [Josef LUX, chairman]; Czech Social Democrats or CSSD-left opposition [Milos ZEMAN, chairman]; Communist Party or KSCM – left opposition [Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman]; Assembly for the Republic or SPR-RSC-extreme right radical [Miroslav SLADEK, chairman]; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman] note: the governing coalition resigned in November 1997; a caretaker government, led by Prime Minister Josef TOSOVSKY, was appointed by President HAVEL in December 1997; new general elections will most likely be held in June 1998; there are three new parties that have not been voted into office, but were created in the wake of Prime Minister KLAUS’ resignation: Freedom Union or US [Jan RUML, chairman], Conservative Consensus Party [Ivan MASEK and Cestmir HOFHANZL], and Party of the Democratic Center [Josef WAGNER, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions; Civic Movement
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksandr VONDRA chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 274-9101, 9102
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jenonne R. WALKER embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: Unit 28129, APO AE 09114; State pouch: American Embassy Prague, Washington, DC 20521-5630 telephone: [420] (2) 5732-0663, 5731-3814 FAX: [420] (2) 5732-0584
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)
@Czech Republic:Economy
Economy-overview: Political and financial crises in 1997 shattered the Czech Republic’s image as one of the most stable and prosperous of post-Communist states. Delays in enterprise restructuring and failure to develop a well-functioning capital market played major roles in Czech economic troubles, which culminated in a currency crisis in May. The currency was forced out of its fluctuation band as investors worried that the current account deficit, which reached about 8% of GDP in 1996, would become unsustainable. After expending $3 billion in vain to support the currency, the central bank let it float. The growing current account imbalance reflected a surge in domestic demand and poor export performance, as wage increases outpaced productivity. The government was forced to introduce two austerity packages later in the spring which cut government spending by 2.5% of GDP. A tough 1998 budget continues the painful medicine. These problems were compounded in the summer of 1997 by unprecedented flooding which inundated much of the eastern part of the country. Czech difficulties in 1997 contrast with earlier achievements of strong GDP growth, a balanced budget, and inflation and unemployment that were among the lowest in the region. The Czech economy’s transition problems continue to be too much direct and indirect government influence on the privatized economy, the sometimes ineffective management of privatized firms, and a shortage of experienced financial analysts for the banking system. Prague forecasts a balanced budget, 2.2% GDP growth, 5.2% unemployment, and 10% inflation for 1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$111.9 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$10,800 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 40.6%
services: 54.4% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 10% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 5.124 million (1997)
by occupation: industry 33.1%, agriculture 6.9%, construction 9.1%, transport and communications 7.2%, services 43.7% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $14.2 billion
expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: 6.9% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 13.85 million kW (1994)
Electricity-production: 53.285 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 5,069 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Exports:
total value: $21.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery and equipment 32.7%, manufactured goods 28.8%, raw materials and fuel 9.2%, food 4.1% (1996) partners: EU 60.9%, CEFTA 21.4%, Slovakia 13.9%, EFTA 1.7% (1996)
Imports:
total value: $27.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery and equipment 38.2%, manufactured goods 19.3%, raw materials and fuels 12.4%, and food 5.6% (1996) partners: EU 61.1%, CEFTA 16.3%, Slovakia 11.8%, EFTA 2.2% (1996)
Debt-external: $20.7 billion (1996)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru
Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1-35.357 (January 1998), 31.698 (1997), 27.145 (1996), 26.541 (1995), 28.785 (1994), 29.153 (1993) note: values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rates
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 3,349,539 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA
@Czech Republic:Transportation
Railways:
total: 9,440 km
standard gauge: 9,344 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2,688 km electrified at three voltages; 1,885 km double track) narrow gauge: 96 km 0.760-m narrow gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 55,489 km
paved: 55,489 km (including 423 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: NA km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river
Pipelines: natural gas 5,400 km
Ports and harbors: Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 110,233 GRT/192,998 DWT ships by type: bulk 3 under Maltese flag, cargo 2 under the Cypriot flag (1997 est.)
Airports: 66 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 33
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 13 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 33
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 16 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
@Czech Republic:Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Civil Defense
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 2,699,023 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 2,056,386 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 78,188 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $1.22 billion (1996)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 2.2% (1996)
@Czech Republic:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of territory in the Czech Republic confiscated from its royal family in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February 1948, when the communists seized power; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II; unresolved property issues with Slovakia over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; domestic consumption-especially of locally produced synthetic drugs-on the rise
______________________________________________________________________
DENMARK
@Denmark:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 43,094 sq km
land: 42,394 sq km
water: 700 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline: 7,314 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 4 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand
Land use:
arable land: 60%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 10%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Environment-current issues: air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography-note: controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen
@Denmark:People
Population: 5,333,617 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 496,886; female 471,891) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,807,384; female 1,760,353) 65 years and over: 15% (male 330,385; female 466,718) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.49% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 12.18 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 11.08 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.64 years
female: 79.12 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Danish
Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 2%, other 7% (1988)
Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect), German (small minority)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Denmark:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark local short form: Danmark
Data code: DA
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Copenhagen
Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark-14 counties (amter, singular-amt) and 2 kommunes*; (stad); Arhus, Bornholm, Fredericksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavn*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg
note: see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions
Independence: in 10th century first organized as a unified state; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Constitution: 1849 was the original constitution; there was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the queen (born 26 May 1968)
head of government: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the queen elections: none; the queen is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the queen
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-progovernment parties: Social Democrats 65, Socialist People’s Party 13, Radical Liberal Party 7, Unity Party 5; opposition: Progress Party 42, Conservative People’s Party 16, Danish People’s Party 13, Center Democrats 8, other parties 10
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party [Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN]; Conservative Party [Torben RECHENDORFF]; Liberal Party [Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN]; Socialist People’s Party [Holger K. NIELSEN]; Progress Party [Kirsten JAKOBSEN]; Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN]; Social Liberal Party [Marianne JELVED]; Unity Party [none]; Danish People’s Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Radical Liberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER]; Conservative People’s Party [Torben RECHENDORFF]
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Knud-Erik TYGESEN chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. ELSON embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716
telephone: [45] (31) 42 31 44
FAX: [45] (35) 43 02 23
Flag description: red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
@Denmark:Economy
Economy-overview: This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food. The center-left coalition government will concentrate on reducing the persistently high unemployment rate and the budget deficit as well as following the previous government’s policies of maintaining low inflation and a current account surplus. The coalition also vows to maintain a stable currency. The coalition has lowered marginal income taxes while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms and increased research and development funds; and improved welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Prime Minister RASMUSSEN’s reforms focus on adapting Denmark to the criteria for European integration by 1999; Copenhagen has won from the European Union (EU) the right to opt out of the European Monetary Union (EMU). Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EU countries likely to fit into the EMU on time. Growth may fall off slightly to 2.8% in 1998, and inflation may rise to 2.5%.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$122.5 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$23,200 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 27%
services: 69% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 2,895,950
by occupation: private services 40%, government services 30%, manufacturing and mining 19%, construction 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $62.1 billion
expenditures: $66.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products, shipbuilding
Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 10.604 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 34.244 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,432 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets; meat, dairy products; fish
Exports:
total value: $48.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery and instruments 25%, meat and meat products, fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals partners: Germany 22.5%, Sweden 9.7%, UK 7.9%, Norway 5.9%, France 5.4%, Netherlands 4.4%, US 4.0% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $43.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum 25%, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
partners: Germany 21.7%, Sweden 11.7%, Netherlands 7.0%, UK 6.6%, France 5.2%, Norway 4.9%, US 4.7%, Japan 3.5%, FSU 1.7% (1995)
Debt-external: $44 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $1.34 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1-6.916 (January 1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 4.025 million (1995 est.), of which 822,000 are mobile telephones
Telephone system: excellent telephone and telegraph services domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, four cellular radio communications systems international: 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations-6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note-the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for world-wide Inmarsat access
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 50 (1996 est.)
Televisions: 3 million (1996 est.)
@Denmark:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,358 km (510 km privately owned and operated) standard gauge: 3,358 km 1.435-m gauge (440 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1996)
Highways:
total: 71,600 km
paved: 71,600 km (including 880 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 417 km
Pipelines: crude oil 110 km; petroleum products 578 km; natural gas 700 km
Ports and harbors: Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Grena, Koge, Odense, Struer
Merchant marine:
total: 327 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,972,331 GRT/6,894,091 DWT
ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 118, chemical tanker 16, container 76, liquefied gas tanker 24, livestock carrier 6, oil tanker 25, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll-on/roll-off cargo 22, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 2
note: Denmark has created its own internal register, called the Danish International Ship register (DIS); DIS ships do not have to meet Danish manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience within the Danish register (1997 est.)
Airports: 118 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 90
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 82 (1997 est.)
@Denmark:Military
Military branches: Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,324,150 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,137,563 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 32,918 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $2.9 billion (1997 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.6% (1997 est.)
@Denmark:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
______________________________________________________________________
DJIBOUTI
@Djibouti:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 22,000 sq km
land: 21,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 508 km
border countries: Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline: 314 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: desert; torrid, dry
Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Asal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
Natural resources: geothermal areas
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 91% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Environment-current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: strategic location near world’s busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland
@Djibouti:People
Population: 440,727 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 94,399; female 94,154) 15-64 years: 55% (male 127,190; female 113,582) 65 years and over: 2% (male 5,877; female 5,525) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.51% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 41.75 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 14.69 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 102.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.07 years
male: 49.06 years
female: 53.15 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.94 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 46.2%
male: 60.3%
female: 32.7% (1995 est.)
@Djibouti:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Data code: DJ
Government type: republic
National capital: Djibouti
Administrative divisions: 5 districts (cercles, singular-cercle); ‘Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Independence: 27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution: multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977) head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote to a six-year term; election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: President HASSAN GOULED reelected; percent of vote-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-RPP 65; note-RPP (the ruling party) dominated
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: People’s Progress Assembly or RPP [Hassan GOULED Aptidon]
other parties: Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Mohamed Jama ELABE]; Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy or FRUD, and affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy or MUD
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lange SCHERMERHORN embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
FAX: [253] 35 39 40
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
@Djibouti:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is based on service activities connected with the country’s strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital city, the remainder being mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of 40% to 50% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$520 million (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 0.5% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,200 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 20%
services: 77% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 282,000
by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services 14% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: 40%-50% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $156 million
expenditures: $175 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 85,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 180 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 427 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels
Exports:
total value: $39.6 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) (1995) partners: Ethiopia 45%, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia (1996)
Imports:
total value: $200.5 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products (1995)
partners: France, Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Thailand (1996)
Debt-external: $276 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1-177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 7,200 (1986 est.)
Telephone system: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 17,000 (1993 est.)
@Djibouti:Transportation
Railways:
total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 97 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals
Highways:
total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km
unpaved: 2,526 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Djibouti
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 11 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
@Djibouti:Military
Military branches: Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force), National Security Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 104,450 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 61,319 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $26 million (1989)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Djibouti:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
DOMINICA
@Dominica:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 13 30 N, 61 20 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 750 sq km
land: 750 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 148 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources: timber
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 67%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Dominica:People
Population: 65,777 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 8,987; female 8,826) 15-64 years: 63% (male 21,231; female 20,464) 65 years and over: 10% (male 2,572; female 3,697) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.33% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 17.35 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -24.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.8 years
male: 74.94 years
female: 80.8 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian
Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (1970 est.)
@Dominica:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica
Data code: DO
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Roseau
Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since 12 June 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1998); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO elected president; percent of legislative vote – NA
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote representatives; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1995; byelections held 13 August 1996 (next to be held by October 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-UWP 12, DLP 5, DFP 4
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located in Saint Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Rosie DOUGLAS]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the Ambassador to Dominica resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica
Flag description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands-the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white-the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
@Dominica:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 26% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the country’s banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island’s production base.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$208 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.7% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,500 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.7% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 25,000
by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% (1984)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $77 million
expenditures: $78 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (FY95/96)
Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate: -0.4% (1996 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 8,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 37 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 448 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited
Exports:
total value: $51.8 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: bananas 50%, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)
Imports:
total value: $98.1 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
partners: US 41%, Caricom 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada
Debt-external: $110 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1-2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 14,613 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: fully automatic network
international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 45,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 cable
Televisions: 5,200 (1993 est.)
@Dominica:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Portsmouth, Roseau
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Dominica:Military
Military branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Dominica:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and