Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch:
chief of state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (Karol WOJTYLA; since 16 October 1978); election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); results – Karol WOJTYLA was elected for life by the College of Cardinals
head of government: Secretary of State Archbishop Angelo Cardinal SODANO (since NA 1991)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission; appointed by Pope
Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch: none; normally handled by Italy
Political parties and leaders: none
Other political or pressure groups: none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
Member of: IAEA, ICFTU, INTELSAT, IOM (observer), ITU, OAS (observer), OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop Agostino CACCIAVILLAN
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond L. FLYNN embassy: Via Delle Terme Deciane 26, Rome 00153 mailing address: PSC 59, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (6) 46741
FAX: [39] (6) 6380159
Flag: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band
@Holy See (vatican City):Economy
Overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter’s Pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.
Budget:
revenues: $169 million
expenditures: $167.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)
Electricity:
capacity: 5,000 kW standby
production: power supplied by Italy consumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)
Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Currency: 1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1 – 1,609.5 (January 1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990); note – the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira which circulates freely
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Holy See (vatican City):Transportation
Railroads:
total: 862 meters; note – connects to Italy’s network at Rome’s Saint Peter’s station
narrow gauge: 862 meters 1.435-m gauge
Highways: none; all city streets
Ports: none
Airports: none
@Holy See (vatican City):Communications
Telephone system: 2,000 telephones; automatic exchange local: NA
intercity: tied into Italian system international: uses Italian system
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 0
televisions: NA
@Holy See (vatican City):Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City
________________________________________________________________________
HONDURAS
@Honduras:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 112,090 sq km
land area: 111,890 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: total 1,520 km, Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline: 820 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: land boundary dispute with El Salvador mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish
Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 30%
forest and woodland: 34%
other: 20%
Irrigated land: 900 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country’s largest source of freshwater) with heavy metals as well as several rivers and streams
natural hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast international agreements: party to – Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified – Biodiversity, Climate Change
@Honduras:People
Population: 5,459,743 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (female 1,159,846; male 1,201,927) 15-64 years: 53% (female 1,468,950; male 1,444,959) 65 years and over: 4% (female 95,361; male 88,700) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.66% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 34.12 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 43.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.04 years
male: 65.64 years
female: 70.55 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran
Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European) 90%, Indian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority
Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 73%
male: 76%
female: 71%
Labor force: 1.3 million
by occupation: agriculture 62%, services 20%, manufacturing 9%, construction 3%, other 6% (1985)
@Honduras:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras local short form: Honduras
Digraph: HO
Type: republic
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular – departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (since 27 January 1994); election last held 28 November 1993 (next to be held November 1997); results – Carlos Roberto REINA Idiaquez (PLH) 53%, Oswaldo RAMOS Soto (PNH) 41%, other 6% cabinet: Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Congress (Congreso Nacional): elections last held on 27 November 1993 (next to be held November 1997); results – PNH 53%, PLH 41%, PDCH 1.0%, PINU-SD 2.5%, other 2.5%; seats – (134 total) PNH 55, PLH 77, PINU-SD 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH), Rafael PINEDA Ponce, president; National Party of Honduras (PNH), Oswaldo RAMOS Soto, president; National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU), Olban VALLADARES, president; Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Efrain DIAZ Arrivillaga, president
Other political or pressure groups: National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH); Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP); Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH); National Union of Campesinos (UNC); General Workers Confederation (CGT); United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH); Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH); Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)
Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez chancery: 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702, 2604, 5008, 4596 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador William T. PRYCE embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 36-9320, 38-5114
FAX: [504] 36-9037
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
@Honduras:Economy
Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy, accounts for 28% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Manufacturing, still in its early stages, employs 9% of the labor force, accounts for 15% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 50% of GDP and employ 20% of the labor force. Many basic problems face the economy, including rapid population growth, high unemployment, inflation, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and the dependence of the export sector mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations. A far-reaching reform program, initiated by former President CALLEJAS in 1990 and scaled back by President REINA, is beginning to take hold.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $9.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -1.9% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,820 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10%; underemployed 30%-40% (1992)
Budget:
revenues: $527 million
expenditures: $668 million, including capital expenditures of $166 million (1993 est.)
Exports: $850 million (f.o.b., 1993 est) commodities: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber partners: US 53%, Germany 11%, Belgium 8%, UK 5%
Imports: $990 million (c.i.f. 1994 est) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs partners: US 50%, Mexico 8%, Guatemala 6%
External debt: $4 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1992 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 290,000 kW
production: 2.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 445 kWh (1993)
Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 28% of GDP, more than 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion
Currency: 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1 – 9.1283 (October 1994), 7.2600 (1993), 5.8300 (1992), 5.4000 (1991); 2.0000 (fixed rate until 1991) 5.70 parallel black-market rate (November 1990); the lempira was allowed to float in 1992
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Honduras:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 785 km
narrow gauge: 508 km 1.067-m gauge; 277 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways:
total: 8,950 km
paved: 1,700 km
unpaved: otherwise improved 5,000 km; unimproved earth 2,250 km
Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft
Ports: La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela, Puerto Lempira
Merchant marine:
total: 271 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 802,990 GRT/1,210,553 DWT
ships by type: bulk 31, cargo 171, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 2, livestock carrier 3, oil tanker 21, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 19, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
note: a flag of convenience registry; Russia owns 14 ships, Vietnam 7, North Korea 4, US 3, Hong Kong 2, South Korea 2, Greece 1
Airports:
total: 159
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 118
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 27
@Honduras:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; 7 telephones/1,000 persons; inadequate system
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations and the Central American microwave radio relay system
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 176, FM 0, shortwave 7 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 28
televisions: NA
@Honduras:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,275,670; males fit for military service 760,113; males reach military age (18) annually 62,405 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $41 million, about 0.4% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
HONG KONG
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Hong Kong:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total area: 1,040 sq km
land area: 990 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total 30 km, China 30 km
Coastline: 733 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 12%
other: 79%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization natural hazards: occasional typhoons
international agreements: NA
Note: more than 200 islands
@Hong Kong:People
Population: 5,542,869 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 499,460; male 549,734) 15-64 years: 70% (female 1,866,540; male 2,016,684) 65 years and over: 11% (female 331,391; male 279,060) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.12% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.18 years
male: 76.78 years
female: 83.78 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, other 5%
Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1971) total population: 77%
male: 90%
female: 64%
Labor force: 2.8 million (1990)
by occupation: manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)
@Hong Kong:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Hong Kong
Abbreviation: HK
Digraph: HK
Type: dependent territory of the UK scheduled to revert to China in 1997
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong’s existing social and economic systems and lifestyle)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: direct election 21 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Chris PATTEN (since 9 July 1992); Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the governor
Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Council: indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were held for the first time 15 September 1991 (next to be held 17 September 1995 when the number of directly-elected seats increases to 50); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (60 total; 21 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18 appointed by governor, 3 ex officio members); indirect elections – number of seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections – UDHK 12, Meeting Point 3, ADPL 1, other 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Martin LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, TSANG Yuk-shing, chairman; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation, Dr. Patrick SHIU Kin-ying, chairman
note: in April 1994, the United Democrats of Hong Kong (UDHK) and Meeting Point merged to form the Democratic Party; the merger became effective in October 1994
Other political or pressure groups: Liberal Party, Allen LEE, chairman; Association for Democracy and People’s Livelihood (ADPL), Frederick FUNG Kin Kee, chairman; Liberal Democratic Federation, HU Fa-kuang, chairman; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), LEE Chark-tim, president; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy), LAU Chin-shek, chairman; Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, CHEUNG Man-kwong, president; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, Szeto WAH, chairman
Member of: APEC, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Consul General Richard W. MUELLER consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 523-9011
FAX: [852] 845-4845
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield
@Hong Kong:Economy
Overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing accounts for about 17% of GDP. Goods and services exports account for about 50% of GDP. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, slowed to 3.0% in 1989-90, and picked up to 4.2% in 1991, 5.0% in 1992, 5.2% in 1993, and 5.5% in 1994. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now about 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Prospects for 1995-96 remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous and so long as investors feel China will support free market practices after the takeover in 1997.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $136.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $24,530 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 1.9% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $19.2 billion
expenditures: $19.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)
Exports: $168.7 billion (including re-exports of $121.0 billion )(f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys
partners: China 32%, US 23%, Germany 5%, Japan 5%, UK 3% (1993 est.)
Imports: $160 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is re-exported partners: China 36%, Japan 19%, Taiwan 9%, US 7% (1993 est.)
External debt: none (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 2% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 8,930,000 kW
production: 33 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,628 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Agriculture: minor role in the economy; local farmers produce 26% fresh vegetables, 27% live poultry; 8% of land area suitable for farming
Illicit drugs: a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine and cocaine abuse
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $152 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $923 million
Currency: 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ – 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990); note – linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
Fiscal year: 1 April – 31 March
@Hong Kong:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 35 km
standard gauge: 35 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total: 1,100 km
paved: 794 km
unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 306 km
Ports: Hong Kong
Merchant marine:
total: 217 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,657,749 GRT/13,181,496 DWT
ships by type: bulk 116, cargo 29, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 6, container 28, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 15 countries among which are UK with 53 ships, China 15, Bermuda 7, Japan 6, Belgium 3, Germany 3, Greece 3, Canada 2, Netherlands 2, Singapore 2
Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2
@Hong Kong:Communications
Telephone system: 3,000,000 telephones; modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services local: NA
intercity: microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network
international: 3 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) earth stations; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: 2.5 million
Television:
broadcast stations: 4 (British Broadcasting Corporation repeater 1; British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater 1) televisions: 1.312 million (1,224,000 color TV sets)
@Hong Kong:Defense Forces
Branches: Headquarters of British Forces, Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,634,559; males fit for military service 1,245,905; males reach military age (18) annually 40,996 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $207 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY92/93); this represents 65% of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
________________________________________________________________________
HOWLAND ISLAND
(territory of the US)
@Howland Island:Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total area: 1.6 sq km
land area: 1.6 sq km
comparative area: about 2.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 6.4 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 5%
other: 95%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:
current issues: no natural fresh water resources natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
international agreements: NA
Note: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
@Howland Island:People
Population: uninhabited; note – American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
@Howland Island:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Howland Island
Digraph: HQ
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
@Howland Island:Economy
Overview: no economic activity
@Howland Island:Transportation
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only; note – there is one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan – they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
@Howland Island:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
________________________________________________________________________
HUNGARY
@Hungary:Geography
Location: Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area:
total area: 93,030 sq km
land area: 92,340 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total 1,989 km, Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 82 km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Slovakia
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
Land use:
arable land: 50.7%
permanent crops: 6.1%
meadows and pastures: 12.6%
forest and woodland: 18.3%
other: 12.3%
Irrigated land: 1,750 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: air pollution; industrial and municipal pollution of Lake Balaton
natural hazards: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year
international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified – Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin
@Hungary:People
Population: 10,318,838 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (female 918,281; male 958,027) 15-64 years: 68% (female 3,534,218; male 3,440,036) 65 years and over: 14% (female 914,221; male 554,055) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.02% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.65 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 12.44 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.9 years
male: 67.94 years
female: 76.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian
Ethnic divisions: Hungarian 89.9%, Gypsy 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian 0.7%
Religions: Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5%
Languages: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98%
Labor force: 5.4 million
by occupation: services, trade, government, and other 44.8%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)
@Hungary:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag
Digraph: HU
Type: republic
Capital: Budapest
Administrative divisions: 38 counties (megyek, singular – megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Bekescsaba, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Fejer, Gyor, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Hodmezovasarhely, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Komarom-Esztergom, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nograd, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Pest, Somogy, Sopron, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala, Zalaegerszeg
Independence: 1001 (unification by King Stephen I)
National holiday: St. Stephen’s Day (National Day), 20 August (commemorates the founding of Hungarian state circa 1000 A.D.)
Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight
Legal system: in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western model
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim president from 2 May 1990); election last held 3 August 1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results – President GONCZ elected by parliamentary vote; note – President GONCZ was elected by the National Assembly with a total of 295 votes out of 304 as interim President from 2 May 1990 until elected President head of government: Prime Minister Gyula HORN (since 15 July 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly on recommendation of the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Orszaggyules): elections last held on 8 and 29 May 1994 (next to be held spring 1998); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (386 total) MSzP 209, SzDSz 70, MDF 37, FKgP 26, KDNP 22, FiDeSz 20, other 2
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), Lajos FUR, chairman; Independent Smallholders (FKgP), Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSzP), Gyula HORN, president; Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), Dr. Lazlo SURJAN, president; Federation of Young Democrats (FiDeSz), Viktor ORBAN, chairman; Alliance of Free Democrats (SzDSz), Ivan PETO, chairman note: the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers’ Party (MSzMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSzP) in October 1989; there is still a small MMP
Member of: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G- 9, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gyorgy BANLAKI (since 27 October 1994) chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald M. BLINKEN embassy: V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest
mailing address: Am Embassy, Unit 1320, Budapest; APO AE 09213-1320 telephone: [36] (1) 112-6450
FAX: [36] (1) 132-8934
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
@Hungary:Economy
Overview: Since 1989 Hungary has been a leader in the transition from a socialist command economy to a market economy – thanks in large part to its initial economic reforms during the Communist era. The private sector now accounts for about 55% of GDP. Nonetheless, the transformation is proving difficult, and many citizens say life was better under the old system. On the bright side, the four-year decline in output finally ended in 1994, as real GDP increased an estimated 3%. This growth helped reduce unemployment to just over 10% by yearend, down from a peak of 13%. However, no progress was made against inflation, which remained stuck at about 20%, and the already-large current account deficit in the balance of payments actually got worse, reaching almost $4 billion. Underlying Hungary’s other economic problems is the large budget deficit, which probably exceeded 7% of GDP in 1994, despite some late-year budget cutting by the new leftist government. In 1995 the government has pledged to accelerate privatization and lower the budget deficit to 5.5% of GDP. It believes this fiscal tightening will reduce the current account deficit to $2.5 billion but at the cost of holding economic growth to only 1%.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $58.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,700 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 21% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 10.4% (yearend 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $11.3 billion
expenditures: $14.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)
Exports: $10.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: raw materials and semi-finished goods 30.0%, machinery and transport equipment 20.1%, consumer goods 25.2%, food and agriculture 21.4%, fuels and energy 3.4% (1993) partners: Germany 25.3%, Italy 8.3%, Austria 10.5%, the FSU 14.0%, US 4.3% (1993)
Imports: $14.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: fuels and energy 12.6%, raw materials and semi-finished goods 27.3%, machinery and transport equipment 33.0%, consumer goods 21.2%, food and agriculture 5.9% (1993) partners: Germany 21.5%, Italy 6.1%, Austria 11.8%, the FSU 20.9%, US 4.3% (1993); note – about one-fourth of the imports from the FSU were MiGs delivered as a debt payment
External debt: $27 billion (September 1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 6,740,000 kW
production: 31 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,012 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), buses, automobiles
Agriculture: including forestry, accounts for 15% of GDP and 16% of employment; highly diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops – wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock – hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in food output
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southeast Asia heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals
Economic aid:
recipient: assistance pledged by OECD countries since 1989 about $9 billion
Currency: 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
Exchange rates: forints per US$1 – 112 (January 1995), 105.16 (1994), 91.93 (1993), 78.99 (1992), 74.74 (1991), 63.21 (1990), 59.07 (1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Hungary:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 7,785 km
broad gauge: 35 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,574 km 1.435-m gauge (2,277 km electrified; 1,236 km double track)
narrow gauge: 176 km mostly 0.760-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 158,711 km
paved: 69,992 km (441 km expressways) unpaved: 88,719 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 1,622 km (1988)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,204 km; natural gas 4,387 km (1991)
Ports: Budapest, Dunaujvaros
Merchant marine:
total: 10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,121 GRT/61,613 DWT
Airports:
total: 78
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 34
@Hungary:Communications
Telephone system: 1,520,000 phones; 14.7 telephones/100 inhabitants (1993); 14,213 telex lines; automatic telephone network based on microwave radio relay system; 608,000 telephones on order; 12-15 year wait for a telephone; 49% of all phones are in Budapest (1991) local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay
international: 1 INTELSAT and Intersputnik earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 32, FM 15, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 41 (Russian repeaters 8) televisions: NA
@Hungary:Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, Territorial Defense
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,639,860; males fit for military service 2,105,632; males reach military age (18) annually 86,298 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 66.5 billion forints, NA% of GDP (1994 est.); note – conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
ICELAND
@Iceland:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Map references: Arctic Region
Area:
total area: 103,000 sq km
land area: 100,250 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4,988 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Natural resources: fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 1%
other: 78%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment
natural hazards: earthquakes and volcanic activity international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified – Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
@Iceland:People
Population: 265,998 (July 1995 est.) note: population data estimates based on average growth rate may differ slightly from official population data because of volatile migration rates
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 31,482; male 32,912) 15-64 years: 65% (female 84,559; male 87,089) 65 years and over: 11% (female 16,554; male 13,402) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.92% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.98 years
male: 76.69 years
female: 81.39 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)
Languages: Icelandic
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.) total population: 100%
Labor force: 127,900
by occupation: commerce, transportation, and services 60.0%, manufacturing 12.5%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, construction 10.8%, agriculture 4.0% (1990)
@Iceland:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lyoveldio Island
local short form: Island
Digraph: IC
Type: republic
Capital: Reykjavik
Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular – sysla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular – kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980); election last held on 29 June 1988 (next scheduled for June 1996); results – there was no election in 1992 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was unopposed
head of government: Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Althing): elections last held on 8 April 1995 (next to be held by April 1999); results – Independence Party 37.1%, Progressive Party 23.3%, Social Democratic Party 11.4%, Socialists 14.3%, People’s Movement 7.2%, Women’s Party 4.9%; seats – (63 total) Independence 25, Progressive 15, Social Democratic 7, Socialists 9, People’s Movement 4, Women’s Party 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
Political parties and leaders: Independence Party (conservative), David ODDSSON; Progressive Party, Halldor ASGRIMSSON; Social Democratic Party, Jon Baldvin HANNIBALSSON; People’s Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON; Women’s Party; People’s Movement (moderate left); National Awakening, Johanna SIGURDARDOTTIR
Member of: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Einar BENEDIKTSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 through 6655 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Parker W. BORG embassy: Laufasvegur 21, Box 40, Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, Reykjavik; FPO AE 09728-0340
telephone: [354] (1) 629100
FAX: [354] (1) 629139
Flag: blue with a red cross outlined in white 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)
@Iceland:Economy
Overview: Iceland’s Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but with an extensive welfare system, relatively low unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. In the absence of other natural resources – except energy – Iceland’s economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. The economy, in recession since 1988, began to recover in 1993, posting 0.4% growth, but was still hampered by cutbacks in fish quotas as well as falling world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Real GDP grew by perhaps 2.4% in 1994. The center-right government plans to continue its policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government, however, remains divided on the issue of EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders’ concern about losing control over their fishing resources.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $4.5 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $17,250 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, ferrosilicon, diatomite
partners: EC 68% (UK 25%, Germany 12%), US 11%, Japan 8% (1992)
Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
partners: EC 53% (Germany 14%, Denmark 10%, UK 9%), Norway 14%, US 9% (1992)
External debt: $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.75% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 1,070,000 kW
production: 4.7 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 16,458 kWh (1993)
Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, geothermal power
Agriculture: accounts for about 15% of GDP; fishing is most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; principal crops – potatoes, turnips; livestock – cattle, sheep; fish catch of about 1.1 million metric tons in 1992
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
Currency: 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1 – 67.760 (January 1995), 69.944 (1994), 67.603 (1993), 57.546 (1992), 58.996 (1991), 58.284 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Iceland:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 11,373 km
paved: 2,513 km
unpaved: gravel, earth 8,860 km (1992)
Ports: Akureyri, Hornafjordur, Isafjordur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,025 GRT/40,410 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2
Airports:
total: 90
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6 with paved runways under 914 m: 53
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23
@Iceland:Communications
Telephone system: 140,000 telephones; adequate domestic service local: NA
intercity: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links
international: 2 earth stations carry all international traffic through an Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 147 (transmitters and repeaters), shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 202 (transmitters and repeaters) televisions: NA
@Iceland:Defense Forces
Branches: no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard; note – Iceland’s defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 70,743; males fit for military service 62,698 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: none
________________________________________________________________________
INDIA
@India:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Pakistan
Map references: Asia
Area:
total area: 3,287,590 km2
land area: 2,973,190 km2
comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries: total 14,103 km, Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline: 7,000 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh and China; status of Kashmir with Pakistan; water-sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges and Pakistan over the Indus
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 55%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 23%
other: 17%
Irrigated land: 430,390 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources natural hazards: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes
international agreements: party to – Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified – Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
@India:People
Population: 936,545,814 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 159,921,309; male 168,812,255) 15-64 years: 61% (female 274,105,407; male 296,145,798) 65 years and over: 4% (female 18,870,762; male 18,690,283) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.77% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 27.78 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.07 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 76.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.04 years
male: 58.5 years
female: 59.61 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic divisions: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
Religions: Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%
Languages: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani a popular variant of Hindu/Urdu, is spoken widely throughout northern India
note: 24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible
Literacy: age 7 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 52%
male: 64%
female: 39%
Labor force: 314.751 million (1990)
by occupation: agriculture 65% (1993 est.)
@India:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India
Digraph: IN
Type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative divisions: 25 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)
Constitution: 26 January 1950
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 25 July 1992); Vice President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 21 August 1992) head of government: Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since 21 June 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) Council of States (Rajya Sabha): body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 appointed by the president, the remainder chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies People’s Assembly (Lok Sabha): elections last held 21 May, 12 and 15 June 1991 (next to be held by 1996); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (545 total, 543 elected, 2 appointed) Congress (I) Party 245, BJP 119, Janata Dal Party 39, Janata Dal (Ajit Singh) 20, CPI/M 35, CPI 14, Telugu Desam 13, AIADMK 11, Samajwadi Janata Party 5, Shiv Sena 4, RSP 4, BSP 1, Congress (S) Party 1, other 23, vacant 9; note – the distribution of seats as of 18 January 1995 is as follows: Congress (I) Party 260, BJP 117, CPI/M 36, Janata Dal Party 24, Samta Party 14, CPI 14, AIADMK 12, Janata Dal (Ajit) 7, Telugu Desam 7, RSP 4, Janata Dal (Ex-Ajit) 3, Samajwadi Party 3, BSP 3, AIFB 3, Shiv Sena 2, Congress (S) Party 1, Kerala Congress (Mani faction) 1, Bihar Peoples Party 1, India National League 1, other 14, vacant 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha RAO, president; Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), L.K. ADVANI; Janata Dal Party, S.R. BOMMAI; Janata Dal (Ajit), Ajit SINGH; Janata Dal (Ex-Ajit), leader NA; Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), Harkishan Singh SURJEET; Communist Party of India (CPI), Indrajit GUPTA; Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), N. T. Rama RAO; All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK; a regional party in Tamil Nadu), Jayaram JAYALALITHA; Samajwadi Party (SP), Mulayam Singh YADAV (President), Om Prakash CHAUTALA, Devi LAL; Shiv Sena, Bal THACKERAY; Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip CHOWDHURY; Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi RAM; Congress (S) Party, leader NA; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Vinod MISHRA; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (a regional party in Tamil Nadu), M. KARUNANIDHI; Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab; National Conference (NC; a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir), Farooq ABDULLAH; Bihar Peoples Party, Lovely ANAND; Samta Party (formerly Janata Dal members), Natish KUMAR; Indian National League, Suliaman SAIT; Kerala Congress (Mani faction), K.M. MANI; All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Prem Dutta PALIWAL (Chairman), Chitta BASU (General Secretary)
Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Ananda Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Siddhartha Shankar RAY chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Frank G. WISNER embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [91] (11) 600651
FAX: [91] (11) 6872028
consulate(s) general: Bombay, Calcutta, Madras
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
@India:Economy
Overview: India’s economy is a mixture of traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. Faster economic growth in the 1980s permitted a significant increase in real per capita private consumption. A large share of the population, perhaps as much as 40%, remains too poor to afford an adequate diet. Financial strains in 1990 and 1991 prompted government austerity measures that slowed industrial growth but permitted India to meet its international payment obligations without rescheduling its debt. Production, trade, and investment reforms since 1991 have provided new opportunities for Indian businessmen and an estimated 100 million to 200 million middle class consumers. New Delhi has always paid its foreign debts on schedule and has stimulated exports, attracted foreign investment, and revived confidence in India’s economic prospects. Foreign exchange reserves, precariously low three years ago, now total more than $19 billion. Positive factors for the remainder of the 1990s are India’s strong entrepreneurial class and the central government’s recognition of the continuing need for market-oriented approaches to economic development, for example in upgrading the wholly inadequate communications facilities. Negative factors include the desperate poverty of hundreds of millions of Indians and the impact of the huge and expanding population on an already overloaded environment.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $1.2539 trillion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,360 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $30.85 billion
expenditures: $48.35 billion, including capital expenditures of $10.5 billion (FY93/94)
Exports: $24.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: clothing, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures, cotton yarn, and fabric partners: US, Japan, Germany, UK, Hong Kong
Imports: $25.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
partners: US, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UK, Belgium, Japan
External debt: $89.2 billion (November 1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1994 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 81,200,000 kW
production: 314 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 324 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery
Agriculture: accounts for 34% of GDP; principal crops – rice, wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; livestock – cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, poultry; fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India among the world’s top 10 fishing nations
Illicit drugs: licit producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of hashish and methaqualone; produced 82 metric tons of illicit opium in 1994
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $31.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million; USSR (1970-89), $11.6 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-89), $105 million
Currency: 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1 – 31.374 (January 1995), 31.374 (1994), 30.493 (1993), 25.918 (1992), 22.742 (1991), 17.504 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April – 31 March
@India:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 62,211 km (6,500 km electrified; 12,617 km double track) broad gauge: 34,544 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 23,599 km 1.000-m gauge; 4,068 km 0.762-m and 0.610-m gauge (1994 est.)
Highways:
total: 1.97 million km
paved: 960,000 km
unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 1.01 million km (1989)
Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 3,497 km; petroleum products 1,703 km; natural gas 902 km (1989)
Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Haldia, Kandla, Madras, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Pondicherry, Port Blair (Andaman Islands), Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam
Merchant marine:
total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,288,902 GRT/10,454,178 DWT
ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 78, chemical tanker 9, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 5, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 68, passenger-cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total: 352
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 48 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 85 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 72
with paved runways under 914 m: 81 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 7 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 46
@India:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; 5 telephones/1,000 persons; domestic telephone system is poor; long-distance telephoning has been improved by a domestic satellite system which also carries TV local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 3 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations and submarine cables to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 96, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 274 (government controlled) televisions: NA
@India:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast Guard)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 253,134,487; males fit for military service 148,814,104; males reach military age (17) annually 9,461,907 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $7.8 billion, 2.8% of GDP (FY94/95)
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INDIAN OCEAN
@Indian Ocean:Geography
Location: body of water between Africa, Antarctica, Asia, and Australia
Map references: World
Area:
total area: 73.6 million sq km
comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of the US; third-largest ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean)
note: includes Arabian Sea, Bass Straight, Bay of Bengal, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, and other tributary water bodies
Coastline: 66,526 km
International disputes: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain: surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular