Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 98%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA
Note: archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands
@Faroe Islands:People
Population: 48,871 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 5,673; male 6,119) 15-64 years: 63% (female 14,164; male 16,835) 65 years and over: 13% (female 3,335; male 2,745) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 17.54 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.59 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.91 years
female: 81.8 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Faroese (singular and plural) adjective: Faroese
Ethnic divisions: Scandinavian
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran
Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 17,585
by occupation: largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
@Faroe Islands:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none
local short form: Foroyar
Digraph: FO
Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
Capital: Torshavn
Administrative divisions: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Independence: none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
Legal system: Danish
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA) head of government: Prime Minister Edmund JOENSEN (since 15 September 1994)
cabinet: Landsstyri; elected by the local legislature
Legislative branch: unicameral
Faroese Parliament (Logting): elections last held 8 July 1994 (next to be held by July 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (32 total) Liberal Party 8, People’s Party 6, Social Democrats 5, Republicans 4, Workers’ Party 3, Christian Democrats 2, Center Party 2, Home Rule Party 2
Danish Parliament: elections last held on 21 September 1994 (next to be held by September 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (2 total) Liberals 2
Judicial branch: none
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Marita PETERSEN; Workers Front, Oli JACOBSEN; Home Rule Party, Helena Dam A NEYSTABOE; The ‘Coalition Party’, Edmund JOENSEN; Republican Party, Finnbogir ESAKSON; Centrist Party, Tordur NICLASEN; Christian People’s Party, Niels Pauli DANIELSEN; People’s Party, Arnfinn KALLSBERG; Liberal Party; Christian Democratic Party
Member of: none
Diplomatic representation in US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
US diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag: white with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the DANNEBROG (Danish flag)
@Faroe Islands:Economy
Overview: The Faroese, who have long enjoyed the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and one of the world’s heaviest per capita external debts of about $25,000. When the nations of the world extended their fishing zones to 200 nautical miles in the early 1970s, the Faroese no longer could continue their traditional long-distance fishing and subsequently depleted their own nearby fishing areas. The government’s tight controls on fish stocks and its austerity measures have caused a recession, and subsidy cuts will force nationalization in the fishing industry, which has already been plagued with bankruptcies. Copenhagen has threatened to withhold its annual subsidy of $130 million – roughly one-third of the islands’ budget revenues – unless the Faroese make significant efforts to balance their budget. To this extent the Faroe government is expected to continue its tough policies, including introducing a 20% value-added tax (VAT) in 1993, and has agreed to an IMF economic-political stabilization plan. In addition to its annual subsidy, the Danish government has bailed out the second largest Faroe bank to the tune of $140 million since October 1992.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $662 million (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate: -10.8% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $14,000 (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.8% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1993)
Budget:
revenues: $407.2 million
expenditures: $482.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports: $345.3 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships) (1989)
partners: Denmark 20%, Germany 18.3%, UK 14.2%, France 11.2%, Spain 7.9%, US 4.5%
Imports: $234.4 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 24.4%, manufactures 24%, food and livestock 19%, fuels 12%, chemicals 6.5% partners: Denmark 43.8%, Norway 19.8%, Sweden 4.9%, Germany 4.2%, US 1.3%
External debt: $1.2 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 90,000 kW
production: 200 million kWh
consumption per capita: 3,953 kWh (1992)
Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP; principal crops – potatoes and vegetables; livestock – sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons
Economic aid:
recipient: receives an annual subsidy from Denmark of about $130 million
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 – 6.034 (January 1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April – 31 March
@Faroe Islands:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 200 km
paved: NA
unpaved: NA
Ports: Klaksvick, Torshavn, Tvoroyri
Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,879 GRT/18,444 DWT ships by type: cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Faroe Islands:Communications
Telephone system: 27,900 telephones; good international communications; fair domestic facilities local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 3 coaxial submarine cables
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3 repeaters 10, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 3 (repeaters 29) televisions: NA
@Faroe Islands:Defense Forces
Branches: no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force and Coast Guard are maintained
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark
________________________________________________________________________
FIJI
@Fiji:Geography
Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total area: 18,270 sq km
land area: 18,270 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 5%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 65%
other: 19%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January international agreements: party to – Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
Note: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
@Fiji:People
Population: 772,891 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (female 136,570; male 142,581) 15-64 years: 61% (female 235,491; male 235,411) 65 years and over: 3% (female 11,943; male 10,895) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.16% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 23.69 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.42 years
male: 63.13 years
female: 67.82 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian
Ethnic divisions: Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%
Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%
note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 87%
male: 90%
female: 84%
Labor force: 235,000
by occupation: subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)
@Fiji:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Fiji conventional short form: Fiji
Digraph: FJ
Type: republic
note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Capital: Suva
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; the 1990 Constitution is under review; the review is scheduled to be complete by 1997
Legal system: based on British system
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994); First Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 12 January 1994); Second Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994); note – President GANILAU died on 15 December 1993 and Vice President MARA became acting president; MARA was elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs on 12 January 1994 head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)
Presidential Council: appointed by the governor general Great Council of Chiefs: highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by prime minister from members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987
Senate: nonelective body containing 34 seats, 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, 1 for the island of Rotuma; appointed by President
House of Representatives: elections last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FA 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Fijian Political Party (SVT – primarily Fijian), leader Maj. Gen. Sitivini RABUKA; National Federation Party (NFP; primarily Indian), Jai Ram REDDY; Fijian Nationalist Party (FNP), Sakeasi BUTADROKA; Fiji Labor Party (FLP), Mahendra CHAUDHRY; General Voters Party (GVP), Bill SORBY; Fiji Conservative Party (FCP), Isireli VUIBAU; Conservative Party of Fiji (CPF), Jolale ULUDOLE and Viliame SAVU; Fiji Indian Liberal Party, Swami MAHARAJ; Fiji Indian Congress Party, Ishwari BAJPAI; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim), leader NA; Four Corners Party, David TULVANUAVOU; Fijian Association (FA), leader NA; General Electors’ Association, leader NA note: in early 1995, ethnic Fijian members of the All National Congress (ANC) merged with the Fijian Association (FA); the new FA is scheduled to hold its first meeting in April 1995 at which time the leaders of the party will be chosen; it is likely that Josevata KAMIKAMICA, the leader of the FA before the merger, will be elected leader and Adi Kuini Bavadra SPEED, the leader of the ANC before the merger, will be elected deputy leader; the remaining members of the ANC have renamed their party the General Electors’ Association
Member of: ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pita Kewa NACUVA chancery: Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996
consulate(s): New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Michael W. MARINE embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 314466
FAX: [679] 300081
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
@Fiji:Economy
Overview: Fiji’s economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and tourism are the major sources of foreign exchange. Industry contributes 13% to GDP, with sugar processing accounting for one-third of industrial activity. Roughly 250,000 tourists visit each year. Political uncertainty and drought, however, contribute to substantial fluctuations in earnings from tourism and sugar and to the emigration of skilled workers. In 1992, growth was approximately 3%, based on growth in tourism and a lessening of labor-management disputes in the sugar and gold-mining sectors. In 1993, the government’s budgeted growth rate of 3% was not achieved because of a decline in non-sugar agricultural output and damage from Cyclone Kina. Growth in 1994 is estimated to be 5%, largely attributed to increased tourism and expansion in domestic production, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $4.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,650 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $579 million, including capital expenditures of $58 million (1994)
Exports: $405 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: sugar 40%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber partners: EC 26%, Australia 15%, Pacific Islands 11%, Japan 6%
Imports: $634 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, consumer goods, chemicals
partners: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%
External debt: $670 million (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1993 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 200,000 kW
production: 480 million kWh
consumption per capita: 581 kWh (1993)
Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats; fish catch nearly 33,000 tons (1989)
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $815 million
Currency: 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 – 1.4140 (January 1995), 1.4641 (1994), 1.5418 (1993), 1.5030 (1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Fiji:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 644 km; note – belongs to the government owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
narrow gauge: 644 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways:
total: 3,300 km
paved: 1,590 km
unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 1,290 km; unimproved earth 420 km (1984)
Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Ports: Labasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu, Suva
Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,267 GRT/17,884 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2
Airports:
total: 23
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 16
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@Fiji:Communications
Telephone system: 53,228 telephones; 71 telephones/1,000 persons; modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and NZ-Australia; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 0
televisions: NA
@Fiji:Defense Forces
Branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes army, navy, and air elements)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 201,441; males fit for military service 111,046; males reach military age (18) annually 8,466 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $22.4 million, about 2% of GDP (FY91/92)
________________________________________________________________________
FINLAND
@Finland:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 337,030 sq km
land area: 305,470 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 6 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 4 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 76%
other: 16%
Irrigated land: 620 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified – Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
@Finland:People
Population: 5,085,206 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 469,666; male 491,484) 15-64 years: 67% (female 1,683,371; male 1,716,307) 65 years and over: 14% (female 457,061; male 267,317) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.3% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.22 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.77 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.22 years
male: 72.51 years
female: 80.11 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 100%
Labor force: 2.533 million
by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%
@Finland:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi
Digraph: FI
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular – laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Martti AHTISAARI (since 1 March 1994); election last held 31 January-6 February 1994 (next to be held January 2000); results – Martti AHTISAARI 54%, Elisabeth REHN 46% head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995); Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995) cabinet: Council of State (Valtioneuvosto); appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Eduskunta): elections last held 19 March 1995 (next to be held March 1999); results – Social Democratic Party 28.3%, Center Party 19.9%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 17.9%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 11.2%, Swedish People’s Party 5.1%, Green League 6.5%, Ecology Party 0.3%, Rural 1.3%, Finnish Christian League 3.0%, Liberal People’s Party 0.6%, Young Finns 2.8%; seats – (200 total) Social Democratic Party 63, Center Party 44, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 39, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 22, Swedish People’s Party 11, Green League 9, Ecology Party 1, Rural 1, Finnish Christian League 7, Young Finns 2, Aaland Islands 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
Political parties and leaders:
government coalition: Social Democratic Party, Paavo LIPPONEN; National Coalition (conservative) Party, Sauli NIINISTO; Leftist Alliance (Communist) People’s Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSON; Swedish People’s Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; Green League, Pekka HAAVISTO
other: Center Party, Esko AHO; Finnish Christian League, Toimi KANKAANNIEMI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal People’s Party, Tuulikki UKKOLA; Greens Ecological Party (EPV); Young Finns
Other political or pressure groups: Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), EU, FAO, G- 9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC (observer), NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Derek N. SHEARER embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (0) 171931
FAX: [358] (0) 174681
Flag: white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the DANNEBROG (Danish flag)
@Finland:Economy
Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output two-thirds of the US figure. Its key economic sector is manufacturing – principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, sank into deep recession in 1991 as GDP contracted by 6.5%. The recession – which continued in 1992 with GDP contracting by 4.1% – has been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finnish Government has proposed efforts to increase industrial competitiveness and efficiency by an increase in exports to Western markets, cuts in public expenditures, partial privatization of state enterprises, and changes in monetary policy. In June 1991 Helsinki had tied the markka to the European Union’s (EU) European Currency Unit (ECU) to promote stability. Ongoing speculation resulting from a lack of confidence in the government’s policies forced Helsinki to devalue the markka by about 12% in November 1991 and to indefinitely break the link in September 1992. The devaluations have boosted the competitiveness of Finnish exports. The recession bottomed out in 1993, and Finland participated in the general European upturn of 1994. Unemployment probably will remain a serious problem during the next few years; the majority of Finnish firms face a weak domestic market and the troubled German and Swedish export markets. The Finns voted in an October 1994 referendum to enter the EU, and Finland officially joined the Union on 1 January 1995. Increasing integration with Western Europe will dominate the economic picture over the next few years.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $81.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $16,140 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1993)
Budget:
revenues: $21.7 billion
expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: paper and pulp, machinery, chemicals, metals, timber partners: EC 53.2% (Germany 15.6%, UK 10.7%), EFTA 19.5% (Sweden 12.8%), US 5.9%, Japan 1.3%, Russia 2.8% (1992)
Imports: $18 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains
partners: EC 47.2% (Germany 16.9%, UK 8.7%), EFTA 19.0% (Sweden 11.7%), US 6.1%, Japan 5.5%, Russia 7.1% (1992)
External debt: $30 billion (December 1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1993 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 13,360,000 kW
production: 58 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 12,196 kWh (1993)
Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; main crops – cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of foodgrains and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the West European market
Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1 – 4.7358 (January 1995), 5.2235 (1994), 5.7123 (1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Finland:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 5,864 km
broad gauge: 5,864 km 1.524-m gauge (1,710 km electrified; 480 km multiple track)
Highways:
total: 76,755 km
paved: bituminous concrete, bituminous treated soil 47,588 km (318 km of expressways)
unpaved: gravel 29,167 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Pipelines: natural gas 580 km
Ports: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
Merchant marine:
total: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,050,270 GRT/1,080,150 DWT
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 20, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 12, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 31, short-sea passenger 10, vehicle carrier 1
Airports:
total: 159
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 21
with paved runways under 914 m: 94 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5
@Finland:Communications
Telephone system: 3,140,000 telephones; good service from cable and microwave radio relay network
local: NA
intercity: cable and microwave radio relay international: 1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki for TV programs
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 105, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 235
televisions: NA
@Finland:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,318,231; males fit for military service 1,083,749; males reach military age (17) annually 33,085 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $1.86 billion, about 1.9% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
FRANCE
@France:Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 547,030 sq km
land area: 545,630 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado note: includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Land boundaries: total 2,892.4 km, Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline: 3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; Mexico claims Clipperton Island; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use:
arable land: 32%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 23%
forest and woodland: 27%
other: 16%
Irrigated land: 11,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
natural hazards: flooding
international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified – Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: largest West European nation; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
@France:People
Population: 58,109,160 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 5,438,447; male 5,700,143) 15-64 years: 65% (female 18,889,771; male 19,001,536) 65 years and over: 16% (female 5,433,276; male 3,645,987) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.29 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.37 years
male: 74.5 years
female: 82.44 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 24.17 million
by occupation: services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)
@France:Government
Names:
conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France
Digraph: FR
Type: republic
Capital: Paris
Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular – region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); election last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held by May 1995); results – Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46% head of government: Prime Minister Edouard BALLADUR (since 29 March 1993)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) Senate (Senat): elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 1995; nine-year term, elected by thirds every three years); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (321 total; 296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 91, UDF 142, PS 66, PCF 16, independents 2, other 4
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (577 total) RPR 247, UDF 213, PS 67, PCF 24, independents 26
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alain JUPPE, interim head; Union for French Democracy (UDF, coalition of PR, CDS, RAD, PSD), Valery Giscard d’ESTAING; Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Francois BAYROU; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND; Socialist Party (PS), Henri EMMANUELLI; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Jean-Francois HORY; Communist Party (PCF), Robert HUE; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN; The Greens, Antoine WAECHTER, Jean-Louis VIDAL, Guy CAMBOT; Generation Ecology (GE), Brice LALONDE
Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail – CGT) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais – CNPF or Patronat)
Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela C. HARRIMAN embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: Unit 21551, Paris; APO AE 09777 telephone: [33] (1) 42 96 12 02, 42 61 80 75 FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
consulate(s) general: Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d’Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
@France:Economy
Overview: One of the world’s most highly developed economies, France has substantial agricultural resources and a diversified modern industrial sector. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make it the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. Largely self-sufficient in agricultural products, France is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector generates about one-quarter of GDP, and the growing services sector has become crucial to the economy. Following stagnation and recession in 1991-93, French GDP in 1994 expanded 2.4%. Growth in 1995 is expected to be in the 3.0% to 3.5% range. Persistently high unemployment will still pose a major problem for the government. Paris remains committed to maintaining the franc-deutsche mark parity, which has kept French interest rates high despite France’s low inflation. Although the pace of economic and financial integration within the European Union has slowed down, integration presumably will remain a major force shaping the fortunes of the various economic sectors over the next few years.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $1.0801 trillion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $18,670 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 12.6% (yearend 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $220.5 billion
expenditures: $249.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $47 billion (1993 budget)
Exports: $249.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
partners: Germany 18.6%, Italy 11.0%, Spain 11.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.1%, UK 8.8%, Netherlands 7.9%, US 6.4%, Japan 2.0%, FSU 0.7% (1991 est.)
Imports: $238.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products partners: Germany 17.8%, Italy 10.9%, US 9.5%, Netherlands 8.9%, Spain 8.8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.5%, UK 7.5%, Japan 4.1%, FSU 1.3% (1991 est.)
External debt: $300 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.6% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 105,250,000 kW
production: 447 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 6,149 kWh (1993)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); one of the world’s top five wheat producers; other principal products – beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world’s top 20 countries and is all used domestically
Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 – 5.9243 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@France:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 34,074 km
standard gauge: 33,975 km 1.435-m gauge (5,850 km electrified; 12,132 km double or multiple track)
other: 99 km various gauges including 1.000-m (privately owned and operated) (1994)
Highways:
total: 1,511,200 km
paved: 811,200 km (including 7,700 km of controlled access divided highway)
unpaved: 700,000 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
Pipelines: crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km
Ports: Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg
Merchant marine:
total: 78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,186,183 GRT/3,323,068 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 7, chemical tanker 6, container 15, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 21, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 2 note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia
Airports:
total: 476
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 12 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 96 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 74
with paved runways under 914 m: 188 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 74
@France:Communications
Telephone system: 39,200,000 telephones; highly developed; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks; large-scale introduction of optical-fiber systems; satellite systems for domestic traffic local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay, optical fiber cable, and domestic satellites
international: 2 INTELSAT earth stations (with total of 5 antennas – 2 Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean); HF radio communications with more than 20 countries; INMARSAT service; EUTELSAT TV service
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0 radios: 48 million
Television:
broadcast stations: 846 (mostly repeaters) televisions: 36 million
@France:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air), Air Force and Air Defense, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 14,740,155; males fit for military service 12,258,691; males reach military age (18) annually 378,489 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $47.1 billion, 3.1% of GDP (1995)
________________________________________________________________________
FRENCH GUIANA
(overseas department of France)
@French Guiana:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Map references: South America
Area:
total area: 91,000 sq km
land area: 89,150 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total 1,183 km, Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 82%
other: 18%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
international agreements: NA
Note: mostly an unsettled wilderness
@French Guiana:People
Population: 145,270 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (female 22,511; male 23,535) 15-64 years: 63% (female 41,995; male 50,064) 65 years and over: 5% (female 3,608; male 3,557) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.13% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 25.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 20.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.52 years
male: 72.27 years
female: 78.94 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.46 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese
Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 66%, Caucasian 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: French
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 83%
male: 84%
female: 82%
Labor force: 23,265
by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
@French Guiana:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana
local long form: none
local short form: Guyane
Digraph: FG
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Cayenne
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA 1992); President of the General Council Elie CASTOR (since NA); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (22 March 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council
General Council: elections last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held NA); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (19 total) PSG 12, URC 7
Regional Council: elections last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held NA); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (31 total) PSG 16, FDG 10, RPR 2, independents 3
French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (1 total) PSG 1
French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (2 total) RPR 1, independent 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Political parties and leaders: Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Elie CASTRO; Conservative Union for the Republic (UPR), Leon BERTRAND; Rally for the Center Right (URC); Rally for the Republic (RPR); Guyana Democratic Front (FDG), Georges OTHILY; Walwari Committee, Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON
Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas department of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas department of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@French Guiana:Economy
Overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops – rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane – is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $800 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $6,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 13% (1990)
Budget:
revenues: $735 million
expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $59 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum
partners: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)
External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 180,000 kW
production: 450 million kWh
consumption per capita: 3,149 kWh (1993)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock – cattle, pigs, poultry
Illicit drugs: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.51 billion
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 – 5.9243 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@French Guiana:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 22 km (est.)
Highways:
total: 1,137 km
paved: 455 km
unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 682 km (1988)
Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Ports: Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 11
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 5
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
@French Guiana:Communications
Telephone system: 18,100 telephones; fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
local: NA
intercity: open wire and microwave radio relay international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 9
televisions: NA
@French Guiana:Defense Forces
Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 41,986; males fit for military service 27,298
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
FRENCH POLYNESIA
(overseas territory of France)
@French Polynesia:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total area: 3,941 sq km
land area: 3,660 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,525 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 19%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 31%
other: 44%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January international agreements: NA
Note: includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean – the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
@French Polynesia:People
Population: 219,999 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (female 38,361; male 39,744) 15-64 years: 60% (female 64,034; male 69,024) 65 years and over: 4% (female 4,437; male 4,399) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.23% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.75 years
male: 68.32 years
female: 73.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Literacy: age 14 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1977)
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98%
Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)
@French Polynesia:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise
Digraph: FP
Type: overseas territory of France since 1946
Capital: Papeete
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994) head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991); Deputy to the French Assembly and President of the Territorial Assembly Jean JUVENTIN (since NA November 1992); Territorial Vice President and Minister of Health Michel BUILLARD (since 12 September 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral
Territorial Assembly: elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (41 total) People’s Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 12, New Fatherland Party 7, other 4 French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (1 total) party NA
French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (2 total) People’s Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law
Political parties and leaders: People’s Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; Here Ai’a Party, Jean JUVENTIN; New Fatherland Party (Ai’a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Hviraatira No Te Ao Maohi), Oscar TEMARU; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), Jacques DROLLET; other small parties
Member of: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@French Polynesia:Economy
Overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about 20% of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $1.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $7,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1990 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $614 million
expenditures: $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Exports: $88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat
partners: France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
Imports: $765 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 75,000 kW
production: 275 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 – 96.25 (January 1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990); note – linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
@French Polynesia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 600 km (1982)
paved: NA
unpaved: NA
Ports: Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT ships by type: passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissable under the main French register
Airports:
total: 43
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14 with paved runways under 914 m: 18
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@French Polynesia:Communications
Telephone system: 33,200 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: 84,000
Television:
broadcast stations: 6
televisions: 26,400
@French Polynesia:Defense Forces
Branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Note: defense is responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS
(overseas territory of France)
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note – “French Southern and Antarctic Lands” includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antartica, “Terre Adelie”; the United States does not recognize the French claim to “Terre Adelie”
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area:
total area: 7,781 sq km
land area: 7,781 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes “Terre Adelie” claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,232 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: “Terre Adelie” claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
Natural resources: fish, crayfish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
international agreements: NA
Note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note – there are researchers whose numbers vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)
@French Southern And Antarctic Lands:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
Digraph: FS