Chapter V (21)

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 70,958 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 62,570 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: none

Military--note: Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned
Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: Rockall continental shelf dispute
involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have
signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)

======================================================================

@India -----

Geography

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of
Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: 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

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

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: 56%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 480,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms
common; earthquakes

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

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near
important Indian Ocean trade routes

People

Population: 1,000,848,550 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 175,463,726; female 165,722,164)
15-64 years: 61% (male 318,004,920; female 295,245,556)
65 years and over: 5% (male 23,571,270; female 22,840,914) (1999
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.68% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 25.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 60.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.4 years
male: 62.54 years
female: 64.29 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian

Ethnic groups: 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
Hindi/Urdu 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52%
male: 65.5%
female: 37.7% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India

Data code: IN

Government 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 Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July
1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19
March 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997
(next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be
held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary
members of the majority party following legislative elections;
election last held NA March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president;
percent of electoral college vote--NA; Krishnan KANT elected vice
president; percent of Parliament vote--NA; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE
elected prime minister; percent of vote--NA

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of
the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more
than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president,
the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and
territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the
People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular
vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly--last held 16 February through 7 March
1998 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: People's Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--BJP 178, Congress (I) Party 141, CPI/M 32, SP 20,
ADMK 18, RJD 17, Telugu Desam 12, SAP 12, CPI 9, BJD 9, Akali Dal
factions 8, Trinamool Congress 7, SHS 6, DMK 6, Janata Dal Party 6,
BSP 5, RSP 5, independents and others 44, vacant 8, appointed by the
president 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the
president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65

Political parties and leaders: Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP
PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Muslim League
factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab;
National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir)
NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: 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

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, BIS, C,
CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIL,
UNOMSIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008;
note--Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE
embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi
mailing address: use embassy street address
consulate(s) general: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)

Flag description: 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

Economy

Economy--overview: India's economy encompasses traditional village
farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern
industries, and a multitude of support services. 67% of India's
labor force work in agriculture, which contributes 25% of the
country's GDP. Production, trade, and investment reforms since 1991
have provided new opportunities for Indian businesspersons and an
estimated 300 million middle class consumers. New Delhi has avoided
debt rescheduling, attracted foreign investment, and revived
confidence in India's economic prospects since 1991. Many of the
country's fundamentals--including savings rates (26% of GDP) and
reserves (now about $30 billion)--are healthy. Even so, the Indian
Government needs to restore the early momentum of reform, especially
by continuing reductions in the extensive remaining government
regulations. India's exports, currency, and foreign institutional
investment were affected by the East Asian crisis in late 1997 and
1998; but capital account controls, a low ratio of short-term debt
to reserves, and enhanced supervision of the financial sector helped
insulate it from near term balance-of-payments problems. Exports
fell 5% in 1998 mainly because of the fall in Asian currencies
relative to the rupee. Energy, telecommunications, and
transportation bottlenecks continue to constrain growth. A series of
weak coalition governments have lacked the political strength to
push reforms forward to address these and other problems. Indian
think tanks project GDP growth of about 4.5% in 1999. Inflation will
remain a worrisome problem.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.689 trillion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 5.4% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,720 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 30%
services: 45% (1997)

Population below poverty line: 35% (1994 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 25% (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1998 est.)

Labor force: NA

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 67%, services 18%,
industry 15% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $42.12 billion
expenditures: $63.79 billion, including capital expenditures of
$13.8 billion (FY98/99 budget est.)

Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel,
transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (1997)

Electricity--production: 404.475 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 80.35%
hydro: 17.8%
nuclear: 1.83%
other: 0.02% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 406.02 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 130 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea,
sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry;
fish

Exports: $32.17 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities: textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering
goods, chemicals, leather manufactures

Exports--partners: US 19%, Hong Kong 6%, UK 6%, Japan 6%, Germany
5% (1997)

Imports: $41.34 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports--commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, machinery,
gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports--partners: US 10%, Belgium 7%, UK 7%, Germany 7%, Saudi
Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (1997)

Debt--external: $93 billion (1998)

Economic aid--recipient: $1.604 billion (1995)

Currency: 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise

Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--42.508 (January
1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995),
31.374 (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March

Communications

Telephones: 12 million (1996)

Telephone system: mediocre; local and long distance service
provided throughout all regions of the country, with services
primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective is to
continue to expand and modernize long-distance network in order to
keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines;
steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of
private and private-public investors, but demand for communication
services is also growing rapidly
domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and
manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in
the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been
introduced for local- and long-distance service; long-distance
traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity
microwave radio relay; since 1985, however, significant trunk
capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a
domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations; cellular
telephone service in four metropolitan cities
international: satellite earth stations--8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); four gateway exchanges
operating from Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, and Chennai; submarine
cables to Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, and Japan

Radio broadcast stations: AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 62 (1998 est.)

Radios: 111 million (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 562 (82 stations have 1 kW or
greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions: 50 million (1999 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 62,915 km (12,307 km electrified; 12,617 km double track)
broad gauge: 40,620 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 18,501 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,794 km 0.762-m and 0.610-m
gauge (1998 est.)

Highways:
total: 3,319,644 km
paved: 1,517,077 km
unpaved: 1,802,567 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels

Pipelines: crude oil 3,005 km; petroleum products 2,687 km;
natural gas 1,700 km (1995)

Ports and harbors: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal
Nehru, Kandla, Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine:
total: 311 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,627,497
GRT/11,038,723 DWT
ships by type: bulk 126, cargo 63, chemical tanker 11, combination
bulk 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 12, liquefied gas tanker
10, oil tanker 76, passenger-cargo 5, short-sea passenger 1,
specialized tanker 2 (1998 est.)

Airports: 341 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 230
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 48
1,524 to 2,437 m: 82
914 to 1,523 m: 70
under 914 m: 19 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 111
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 50
under 914 m: 51 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 17 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air
Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border
Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Rashtriya Rifles)

Military manpower--military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 269,339,985 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 158,141,508 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 10,661,786 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $10.012 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.7% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: boundary with China in dispute; status of
Kashmir with Pakistan; water-sharing problems with Pakistan over the
Indus River (Wular Barrage); a portion of the boundary with
Bangladesh is indefinite; dispute with Bangladesh over New
Moore/South Talpatty Island

Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of licit opium 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; cultivated 2,050
hectares of illicit opium in 1997, a 34% decrease from 1996, with a
potential production of 30 metric tons, a 36% decrease from 1996

======================================================================

@Indian Ocean ------------

Geography

Location: body of water between Africa, Antarctica, Asia, and
Australia

Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references: World

Area:
total: 73.6 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Great
Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel,
Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, and other tributary water
bodies

Area--comparative: 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)

Coastline: 66,526 km

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 system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards: ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme
south near Antarctica from May to October

Environment--current issues: endangered marine species include the
dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian
Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Environment--international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait
of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and
the Lombok Strait

Government

Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard
for hydrographic codes--see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic
Codes appendix

Economy

Economy--overview: The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes
connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and
the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum
and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and
Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the
bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing
fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the
Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of
hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia,
Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's
offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands
rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively
exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa,
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Communications

Telephone system:
international: submarine cables from India to UAE and Malaysia and
from Sri Lanka to Djibouti and Indonesia

Transportation

Ports and harbors: Calcutta (India), Chennai (Madras; India),
Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia),
Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South
Africa)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: some maritime disputes (see littoral
states)

======================================================================

@Indonesia ---------

Introduction

Background: Indonesia declared its independence in 1945 from the
Netherlands, a claim disputed, then recognized by the Dutch in 1949.
In 1975 Indonesian troops occupied Portuguese East Timor. Current
issues include implementing IMF-mandated reforms (particularly
restructuring and recapitalizing the insolvent banking sector),
effecting a transition to a popularly elected government, addressing
longstanding grievances over the role of the ethnic Chinese business
class and charges of cronyism and corruption, alleged human rights
violations by the military, the role of the military and religion in
politics, and growing pressures for some form of independence or
autonomy by Aceh, Irian Jaya, and East Timor.

Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 5 00 S, 120 00 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 1,919,440 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,602 km
border countries: Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

Coastline: 54,716 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior
mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources: petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber,
bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 7%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 62%
other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 45,970 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis,
earthquakes, volcanoes

Environment--current issues: deforestation; water pollution from
industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and
haze from forest fires

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography--note: archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited);
straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea
lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People

Population: 216,108,345 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 33,367,287; female 32,411,786)
15-64 years: 65% (male 70,541,893; female 70,866,972)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,936,415; female 4,983,992) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.46% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.78 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.14 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 57.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.92 years
male: 60.67 years
female: 65.29 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian

Ethnic groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%,
coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%

Religions: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu
2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay),
English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is
Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8%
male: 89.6%
female: 78% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia
local short form: Indonesia
former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Data code: ID

Government type: republic

Capital: Jakarta

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi,
singular--propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa,
singular--daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district**
(daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta
Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan
Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur,
Lampung, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau,
Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi
Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor
Timur, Yogyakarta*

Independence: 17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27
December 1949, Indonesia became legally independent from the
Netherlands)

National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of
1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by
indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal and married persons
regardless of age

Executive branch:
note: on 21 May 1998--less than three months after being selected for
a seventh five-year term--President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO resigned
from office; immediately following his resignation he announced that
Vice President HABIBIE would assume the presidency for the remainder
of the term which expires in 2003; on 28 May 1998, HABIBIE and
legislative leaders announced an agreement to select a new president
in 1999
chief of state: President Bacharuddin J. HABIBIE (since 21 May
1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Bacharuddin J. HABIBIE (since 21 May
1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet
election: president and vice president selected by consensus by the
People's Consultative Assembly for five-year terms; selection last
held 10 March 1998 (next to be held by 10 November 1999)
election results: Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO selected president by
consensus by the People's Consultative Assembly; Bacharuddin J.
HABIBIE selected vice president by consensus by the People's
Consultative Assembly; note--Vice President HABIBIE assumed the
presidency after SOEHARTO's resignation

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan
Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (500 seats; 425 elected by popular vote, 75
are appointed military representatives; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 29 May 1997 (next to be held 7 June 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--Golkar 74.5%, PPP 22.43%,
PDI 3.07%; seats by party--Golkar 325, PPP 89, PDI 11
note: the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan
Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 200 indirectly selected
members; it meets every five years to elect the president and vice
president and to approve the broad outlines of national policy

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung), the judges are
appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Golkar (de facto ruling political
Indonesia Democracy Party or PDI (federation of former Nationalist
chairman]

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT,
UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador DORODJATUN Kuntoro-Jakti
chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Stapleton ROY
embassy: Medan Merdeka Selatan 5, Jakarta
mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, APO AP 96520
consulate(s) general: Surabaya

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and
white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar
to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy

Economy--overview: The collapse of the rupiah in late 1997 and
early 1998 caused GDP to contract by an estimated 13.7% in 1998
because of Indonesian firms' reliance on short-term
dollar-denominated debt and high levels of nonperforming loans in
the banking sector. The Indonesian Government initially wavered on
meeting the conditions it agreed to in exchange for a $42 billion
IMF assistance package, contributing to further loss in investor
confidence and outflows of capital. Riots that in many cases
targeted ethnic Chinese business owners also set back chances that
Indonesia would quickly stabilize its financial crisis and
contributed to President SOEHARTO's resignation on 21 May 1998. His
successor, B.J. HABIBIE, improved cooperation with the IMF. The
money supply--which expanded rapidly early in the year to prop up
banks hit by deposit runs--was tightened within a few months, and by
October, inflation--which reached a 77% annual rate--was significantly
dampened. The government also announced a bank recapitalization
program in late 1998, but by early 1999 the plan faced growing
challenges over its reliance on public funds. Doubts about whether
the program is adequate underlie forecasts of continued--although
much less severe--GDP contraction for 1999. Signs of spreading unrest
and sectarian violence and concern that social instability will
increase as the 7 June 1999 national election approaches also
contribute to pessimism about the economy, particularly because
foreign investors remain reluctant to begin to increase capital
inflows again. The next government will face the challenge of
establishing a macroeconomic policy framework that addresses
longstanding grievances and inequities underlying much of the
current unrest without hampering an economic recovery.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$602 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: -13.7% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,830 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.8%
industry: 40.3%
services: 40.9% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 28.3% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 77% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 87 million (1997 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 41%, trade, restaurant,
and hotel 19.8%, manufacturing 14%, construction 4.8%, transport and
communications 4.75%, other 15.65% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 15%-20% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $35 billion (of which $15 billion is from international
financial institutions)
expenditures: $35 billion, including capital expenditures of $12
billion (FY98/99 est.)

Industries: petroleum and natural gas; textiles, apparel, and
footwear; mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood; rubber;
food; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: -13.7% (1998 est.)

Electricity--production: 66.8 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 82.34%
hydro: 14.97%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.69% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 66.8 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber,
cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Exports: $49 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: garments 7.9%, textiles 7.3%, gas 6.4%,
electrical appliances 5.9%, pulp and paper 5.3%, oil 4.7%, plywood
4.7%

Exports--partners: Japan 18%, EU 15%, US 14%, Singapore 13%, South
Korea 5%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3.9%, Taiwan 3.4% (1998 est.)

Imports: $24 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: manufactures 75.3%, raw materials 9.0%,
foodstuffs 7.8%, fuels 7.7%

Imports--partners: Japan 20%, US 13%, Germany 9%, Singapore 9%,
Australia 6.4%, South Korea 5.4%, Taiwan 3.4%, China 3.1% (1998 est.)

Debt--external: $136 billion (yearend 1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $43 billion from IMF program and other
official external financing (1997-2000)

Currency: Indonesian rupiah (Rp)

Exchange rates: Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) per US$1--8,714.3 (January
1999), 10,013.6 (1998), 2,909.4 (1997), 2,342.3 (1996), 2,248.6
(1995), 2,160.8 (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March

Communications

Telephones: 1,276,600 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: domestic service fair, international service
good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 618, FM 38, shortwave 0

Radios: 28.1 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 41 (of which 18 are
government-owned and 23 are commercial) (1997)

Televisions: 11.5 million (1992 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (101 km electrified; 101 km
double track); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 342,700 km
paved: 158,670 km
unpaved: 184,030 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: 21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820
km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya
4,587 km

Pipelines: crude oil 2,505 km; petroleum products 456 km; natural
gas 1,703 km (1989)

Ports and harbors: Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang,
Semarang, Surabaya, Ujungpandang

Merchant marine:
total: 587 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,707,004
GRT/3,701,001 DWT
ships by type: bulk 37, cargo 348, chemical tanker 8, container 20,
liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 116,
passenger 9, passenger-cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11,
short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 5 (1998
est.)

Airports: 443 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 125
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 41
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 30 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 318
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 282 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 4 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 61,087,521 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 35,804,125 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 2,268,638 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $959.7 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1% (FY97/98)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: Indonesian sovereignty over Timor Timur
(East Timor Province), which is not recognized by the UN, is the
subject of discussions between the UN, Indonesia, and Portugal; two
islands in dispute with Malaysia

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic
use; possible growing role as transshipment point for Golden
Triangle heroin

======================================================================

@Iran ----

Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian
Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

Coastline: 2,440 km
note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements, or median lines in
the Persian Gulf
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with
deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium,
copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 27%
forests and woodland: 7%
other: 55% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms,
sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast

Environment--current issues: air pollution, especially in urban
areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial
effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil
pollution in the Persian Gulf; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation

People

Population: 65,179,752 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 11,963,438; female 11,447,191)
15-64 years: 60% (male 19,549,935; female 19,276,784)
65 years and over: 4% (male 1,561,877; female 1,380,527) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.07% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.71 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.73 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.76 years
male: 68.43 years
female: 71.16 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and
Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%,
other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian,
Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic
dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish
1%, other 2%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.1%
male: 78.4%
female: 65.8% (1994 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form: Iran

Data code: IR

Government type: theocratic republic

Capital: Tehran

Administrative divisions: 25 provinces (ostanha, singular--ostan);
Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar
Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam,
Kerman, Kermanshahan, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer
Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va
Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
note: there may be three new provinces named Golestan, Qom, and
Qazvin

Independence: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

National holiday: Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of
the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Legal system: the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of
government

Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali
Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since
3 August 1997); First Vice President Hasan Ebrahim HABIBI (since NA
August 1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by
the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA
May 2001)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani elected president;
percent of vote--(Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 69%

Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (270 seats; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 March and 19 April 1996 (next to be held NA
March 2000)
election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: since President KHATAMI's election
in May 1997, several political parties have been licensed including
Executives of Construction, Islamic Iran Solidarity Party, and
Islamic Partnership Front; other important political groupings are:
MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA]; Islamic

Political pressure groups and leaders: groups that generally
support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of
the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the
Imam, and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups
include the Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran
party; armed political groups that have been almost completely
repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization
(MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the
Society for the Defense of Freedom

International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP,
FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note--Iran has an
Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Fariborz
JAHANSUZAN; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy,
965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note--protecting
power in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top),
white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of
the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR
(God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the
bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the
red band

Economy

Economy--overview: Iran's economy is a mixture of central
planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises,
village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service
ventures. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market
reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that
he will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy
although he has made little progress toward that goal. In the early
1990s, Iran experienced a financial crisis and was forced to
reschedule $15 billion in debt. The strong oil market in 1996 helped
ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely
debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997
and deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil prices. As a
result Iran has begun to cut imports and fall into arrears on its
debt payments.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$339.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: -2.1% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$5,000 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line: 53% (1996 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 24% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 15.4 million
note: shortage of skilled labor

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%
(1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: more than 30% (January 1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $34.6 billion
expenditures: $34.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.8
billion (FY96/97)

Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other
construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining
and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (FY95/96 est.)

Electricity--production: 79.5 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 90.57%
hydro: 9.43%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 79.5 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets,
fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar

Exports: $12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: petroleum 80%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides,
iron, steel

Exports--partners: Japan, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, South Korea

Imports: $13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: machinery, military supplies, metal works,
foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products

Imports--partners: Germany, Italy, Japan, UAE, UK, Belgium

Debt--external: $21.9 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $116.5 million (1995)

Currency: 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; note--domestic figures
are generally referred to in terms of the toman

Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1--1,754.63 (January
1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996), 1,747.93
(1995), 1,748.75 (1994); black market rate: 7,000 rials per US$1
(December 1998); note--as of May 1995, the "official rate" of 1,750
rials per US$1 is used for imports of essential goods and services
and for oil exports, whereas the "official export rate" of 3,000
rials per US$1 is used for non-oil exports and imports not covered
by the official rate

Fiscal year: 21 March--20 March

Communications

Telephones: 8,991,797 (1997 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: 25 regional telecommunications authorities created in
1996; these authorities are responsible for implementing paging
services and cellular systems; microwave radio relay extends
throughout the country with the system centered in Tehran; system is
moving toward digitization and direct-dial capability; 255
long-distance circuits (1999 est.); 366 telephone exchanges (1995
est.); 204,400 microwave channels (1996 est.); 230,000 cellular
telephone subscribers (1997 est.); 3,930 pager subscribers (1995
est.)
international: 13,985 international circuits (1999 est.) with a plan
to reach 14,000 by March 1999; satellite earth stations--9 Intelsat
(with 50 terminals) and 4 Inmarsat; HF radio and microwave radio
relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan,
Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic
cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG); Trans Asia Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from
Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with
expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; four Internet service providers
as of 1997 with the number increasing (service limited to electronic
mail to promote Iranian culture)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 6, shortwave 5 (1998 est.)

Radios: 13 million (1999 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 28 (in addition, there are 450
low-power repeaters, all government controlled) (1997)

Televisions: 7 million (1999 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 7,286 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,192 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1996
est.)

Highways:
total: 162,000 km
paved: 81,000 km (including 470 km of expressways)
unpaved: 81,000 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by
maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m
and is in use

Pipelines: crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km;
natural gas 4,550 km

Ports and harbors: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during
1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr,
Bandar-e Imam Khomeyni, Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e
Torkaman, Chabahar (Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye
Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since
November 1992), Now Shahr

Merchant marine:
total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,238,293
GRT/5,658,259 DWT
ships by type: bulk 46, cargo 35, chemical tanker 4, combination
bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction
large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 10, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)

Airports: 288 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 110
over 3,047 m: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 6 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 178
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 126
under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 11 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces
(includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces),
Revolutionary Guards (includes Ground, Air, Navy, Qods, and
Basij-mobilization-forces), Law Enforcement Forces

Military manpower--military age: 21 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 17,203,360 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 10,217,269 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 767,152 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $5.787 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.9% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic
relations in 1990 but are still trying to work out written
agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war
concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of
navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran
occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE: Lesser
Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e
Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in
Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); it
jointly administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf
claimed by the UAE (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye
Abu Musa in Persian by Iran)--over which Iran has taken steps to
exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions
and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered
significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these
Iranian actions; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among
Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan

Illicit drugs: despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran
remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to
Europe; domestic consumption of narcotics remains a persistent
problem and Iranian press reports estimate that there are at least
1.2 million drug users in the country

======================================================================

@Iraq ----

Introduction

Background: Iraq lies in the lower part of the Tigris-Euphrates
valley, the heart of one of the four great ancient civilizations.
The area was overrun by Arab, Mongol, and Turkish conquerors and
became a British mandate following World War I. Independence came in
1932. Iraq's pro-Western stance ended in 1958 with the overthrow of
the monarchy. Its subsequent turbulent history has witnessed the
dictatorship of SADDAM Husayn, civil war with the Kurds, a bloody
conflict with neighboring Iran, and, in 1990, an invasion of Kuwait,
swiftly turned back by a Western coalition led by the US.
Noncooperation with UN Security Council resolution obligations and
the UN's inspection of Iraq's nuclear, chemical, biological, and
long-range missile weapons programs remain major problems.

Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran
and Kuwait

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries:
total: 3,631 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km

Coastline: 58 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot,
cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and
Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy
snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive
flooding in central and southern Iraq

Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border
in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Gundah Zhur 3,608 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 79% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 25,500 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Environment--current issues: government water control projects
have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah
by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once
sizable population of Shi'a Muslims, who have inhabited these areas
for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the
destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the
area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water;
development of Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent upon
agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution;
soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

People

Population: 22,427,150 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 4,982,510; female 4,825,129)
15-64 years: 53% (male 6,030,417; female 5,889,543)
65 years and over: 3% (male 326,223; female 373,328) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.19% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 38.42 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 62.41 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.52 years
male: 65.54 years
female: 67.56 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian
or other 5%

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian
or other 3%

Languages: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions),
Assyrian, Armenian

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 70.7%
female: 45% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq

Data code: IZ

Government type: republic

Capital: Baghdad

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat,
singular--muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah,
An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk,
Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate
under British administration)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970
(provisional Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not
adopted

Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts,
civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice
President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice
President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister SADDAM Husayn (since 29 May
1994); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979);
Deputy Prime Minister Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since NA May 1994); Deputy
Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since NA May 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: there is also a Revolutionary Command Council; Chairman SADDAM
Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri
elections: president and vice presidents elected by a two-thirds
majority of the Revolutionary Command Council; election last held 17
October 1995 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: SADDAM Husayn reelected president; percent of
vote--99%; Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF and Taha Yasin RAMADAN elected
vice presidents; percent of vote--NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis
al-Watani (250 seats; 30 appointed by SADDAM Husayn to represent the
three northern provinces of Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah; 220
elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Ba'th Party [SADDAM Husayn,
central party leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders: any formal political
activity must be sanctioned by the government; opposition to regime
from Kurdish groups and southern Shi'a dissidents

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL,
AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note--Iraq has an
Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Dr. Khairi AL
ZUBAYDI; address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 2118

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note--the US has an
Interests Section in the Polish Embassy in Baghdad; address: P. O.

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top),
white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal
line centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is
Great) in green Arabic script--Allahu to the right of the middle star
and Akbar to the left of the middle star--was added in January 1991
during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria that
has two stars but no script and the flag of Yemen that has a plain
white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt that has a symbolic
eagle centered in the white band

Economy

Economy--overview: Iraq's economy has been dominated by the oil
sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign
exchange earnings. In the 1980s, financial problems caused by
massive expenditures in the eight-year war with Iran and damage to
oil export facilities by Iran led the government to implement
austerity measures, borrow heavily, and later reschedule foreign
debt payments; Iraq suffered economic losses of at least $100
billion from the war. After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil
exports gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines
and restoration of damaged facilities. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in
August 1990, subsequent international economic embargoes, and
military action by an international coalition beginning in January
1991 drastically reduced economic activity and increased prices. The
Iraqi Government has been unwilling to abide by UN resolutions so
that the economic embargo could be removed. The government's
policies of supporting large military and internal security forces
and of allocating resources to key supporters of the regime have
exacerbated shortages. The implementation of the UN's oil-for-food
program in December 1996 has helped improve economic conditions. For
the first three six-month phases of the program, Iraq was allowed to
export $2 billion worth of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and
other humanitarian goods. The UN allowed Iraq to export $5.2 billion
of oil beginning with the fourth phase of the program in May 1998.
At an average volume of 1.9 million barrels per day during the last
half of 1998, oil exports are about three-quarters their prewar
level. Per capita food imports have increased significantly, while
medical supplies and health care services are steadily improving.
Per capita output and living standards are still well below the
prewar level, but any estimates have a wide range of error.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$52.3 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 10% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,400 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 4.4 million (1989)

Labor force--by occupation: services 48%, agriculture 30%,
industry 22% (1989)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction
materials, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity--production: 27.6 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 97.83%
hydro: 2.17%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 27.6 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates,
cotton; cattle, sheep

Exports: $5 billion (1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: crude oil

Exports--partners: Russia, France, China, Turkey (1998)

Imports: $3 billion (1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: food, medicine, manufactures

Imports--partners: Russia, France, Jordan, Australia, China (1998)