Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.97 years
male: 47.67 years
female: 46.23 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks,
Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%

Languages:
Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily
Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and
Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 21% (1999 est.)
total population: 36%
male: 51%

People - note:
large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring
states

Government Afghanistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

Government type:
transitional

Capital:
Kabul

Administrative divisions:
32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand,
Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz,
Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia,
Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol

Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Constitution:
the Bonn Agreement called for a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to be
convened within 18 months of the establishment of the Transitional
Authority to draft a new constitution for the country; the basis for
the next constitution is the 1964 Constitution, according to the
Bonn Agreement

Legal system:
the Bonn Agreement calls for a judicial commission to rebuild the
justice system in accordance with Islamic principles, international
standards, the rule of law, and Afghan legal traditions

Suffrage:
NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Executive branch:
note: following the Taliban's refusal to hand over Usama bin LADIN
to the US for his suspected involvement in the 11 September 2001
terrorist attacks in the US, a US-led international coalition was
formed; after several weeks of aerial bombardment by coalition
forces and military action on the ground, including Afghan
opposition forces, the Taliban was ousted from power on 17 November
2001; in December 2001, a number of prominent Afghans met under UN
auspices in Bonn, Germany, to decide on a plan for governing the
country; as a result, the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) - made up
of 30 members, headed by a chairman - was inaugurated on 22 December
2001 with a six-month mandate to be followed by a two-year
Transitional Authority (TA), after which elections are to be held;
the structure of the follow-on TA was announced on 10 June 2002,
when the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) convened establishing the
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA), which has 18
months to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and 24 months to
hold nationwide elections
chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June
2002); note - presently the president and head of government
head of government: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10
June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government
cabinet: the 30-member TISA
elections: nationwide elections are to be held by June 2004,
according to the Bonn Agreement

Legislative branch:
nonfunctioning as of June 1993

Judicial branch:
the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court;
there is also a Minister of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
NA; note - political parties in Afghanistan are in flux and many
prominent players have plans to create new parties; the Transitional
Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) is headed by President Hamid
KARZAI; the TISA is a coalition government formed of leaders from
across the Afghan political spectrum; there are also several
political factions not holding positions in the Transitional
government that are forming new groups and parties in the hopes of
participating in 2004 elections

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State
of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora
members, and former political leaders

International organization participation:
AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM
(observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: ambassador Seyyed Tayeb JAWAD
chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: 202-483-6487
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: 202-483-6410

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Patrick John FINN; note -
embassy in Kabul reopened 16 December 2001, following closure in
January 1989
embassy: Great Masood Road, Kabul
mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180
telephone: [93] (2) 290002, 290005, 290154
FAX: 00932290153

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green, with a
gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a
temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right
and by a bold Islamic inscription above

Economy Afghanistan

Economy - overview:
Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly
dependent on foreign aid, farming and livestock raising (sheep and
goats), and trade with neighboring countries. Economic
considerations have played second fiddle to political and military
upheavals during more than two decades of war, including the nearly
10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989).
During that conflict, one-third of the population fled the country,
with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of 4 to 6 million
refugees. Gross domestic product has fallen substantially over the
past 20 years because of the loss of labor and capital and the
disruption of trade and transport; severe drought added to the
nation's difficulties in 1998-2002. The majority of the population
continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and
medical care, and a dearth of jobs, problems exacerbated by
political uncertainties and the general level of lawlessness.
International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the
Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002,
when $4.5 billion was pledged, $1.7 billion for 2002. Of that
approximately $900 million was directed to humanitarian aid - food,
clothing, and shelter - and another $90 million for the Afghan
Transitional Authority. Further World Bank and other aid came in
2003. Priority areas for reconstruction include upgrading education,
health, and sanitation facilities; providing income generating
opportunities; enhancing administrative and security arrangements,
especially in regional areas; developing the agricultural sector;
rebuilding transportation, energy, and telecommunication
infrastructure; and reabsorbing 2 million returning refugees. The
replacement of the opium trade - which may account for one-third of
GDP - and the search for oil and gas resources in the northern
region are two major long-term issues.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $19 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 20%
services: 20% (1990 est.)

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:
10 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003 plan est.)

Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes,
fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
334.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 36.3%
hydro: 63.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
511.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
220 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
220 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.98 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

Exports:
$1.2 billion (not including illicit exports) (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and
pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners:
Pakistan 26.8%, India 26.5%, Finland 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, UAE 4.4%,
Belgium 4.3%, Russia 4.2%, US 4.2% (2002)

Imports:
$1.3 billion (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%,
Germany 5.4% (2002)

Debt - external:
NA (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
international pledges made by more than 60 countries and
international financial institutions at the Tokyo Donors Conference
for Afghan reconstruction in January 2002 reached $4.5 billion
through 2006, with $1.8 billion allocated for 2002; another $1.7
billion was pledged for 2003.

Currency:
afghani (AFA)

Currency code:
AFA

Exchange rates:
afghanis per US dollar - 3,000 (October-December 2002), 3,000
(2001), 3,000 (2000), 3,000 (1999), 3,000 (1998), note: before 2002
the market rate varied widely from the official rate; in 2002 the
afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized

Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

Communications Afghanistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
29,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service
domestic: in 1997, telecommunications links were established between
Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through
satellite and microwave systems
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1,
shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and
English) (1999)

Radios:
167,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
at least 10 (one government-run central television station in Kabul
and regional stations in nine of the 32 provinces; the regional
stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a
station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan
provinces) (1998)

Televisions:
100,000 (1999)

Internet country code:
.af

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Afghanistan

Railways:
total: 24.6 km
broad gauge: 9.6 km 1.524-m gauge from Gushgy (Turkmenistan) to
Towraghondi; 15 km 1.524-m gauge from Termiz (Uzbekistan) to
Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya (2001)

Highways:
total: 21,000 km
paved: 2,793 km
unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,200 km
note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)

Pipelines:
gas 651 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Airports:
47 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 37
under 914 m: 11 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14

Heliports:
5 (2002)

Military Afghanistan

Military branches:
NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement called for all militia
forces to come under the authority of the central government, but
regional leaders have continued to retain their militias and the
formation of a nation army will be a gradual process; Afghanistan's
forces continue to be factionalized, largely along ethnic lines

Military manpower - military age:
22 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 275,223 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$525.2 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
7.7% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Afghanistan

Disputes - international:
thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran and Pakistan;
isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in Pakistan make
cross-border activities difficult to control; prolonged regional
drought strains water-sharing arrangements for Amu Darya and Helmand
River states

Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy -
used to make heroin - expanded to 30,750 hectares in 2002, despite
eradication; potential opium production of 1,278 metric tons; source
of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country;
drug trade source of instability and some government groups profit
from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from
Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the
hawala system

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Albania

Introduction Albania

Background:
Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic
Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The
transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to
deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure,
widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents.
International observers judged legislative elections in 2001 to be
acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified
serious deficiencies that should be addressed through reforms in the
Albanian electoral code.

Geography Albania

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea,
between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 28,748 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km

Coastline:
362 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers;
interior is cooler and wetter

Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel,
hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 21.09%
permanent crops: 4.45%
other: 74.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
3,400 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast;
floods; drought

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and
domestic effluents

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

People Albania

Population:
3,582,205 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 520,714; female 486,911)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 1,115,887; female 1,196,477)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 115,754; female 146,462) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.5 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 28.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.03% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
18.2 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 37.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 34.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 39.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.37 years
male: 69.53 years
female: 75.42 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian

Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Gypsy, Serb, and
Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from
1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)

Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious
observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing
private religious practice

Languages:
Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek

Literacy:
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 93.3%
female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

Government Albania

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise

Government type:
emerging democracy

Capital:
Tirana

Administrative divisions:
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i
Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i
Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku
i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores

Independence:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)

Constitution:
a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November
1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote

Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24
July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
approved by the president
elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held NA
June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly
vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100
are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for
four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July,
22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and
coalition allies 36.8%, NDP 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH 2.6%,
PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, NDP 6,
PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH 3, PAD 3, independents 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a
four-year term)

Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party of Albania or PASH [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian
Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Communist Party of Albania or
PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Nerltan CEKA];
Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or
PLL [Guri DUROLLARI]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK
[Abaz ERMENJI]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI];
Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy or DS
[Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI];
Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos
NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Omonia [Vangjel DULES]

International organization participation:
ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY
embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place,
Washington, DC 20521-9510
telephone: [355] (4) 247285
FAX: [355] (4) 232222

Flag description:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

Economy Albania

Economy - overview:
Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the
difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The
government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur
economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances
from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and
Italy; this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. Agriculture,
which accounts for half of GDP, is held back because of frequent
drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small
plots of land. Severe energy shortages are forcing small firms out
of business, increasing unemployment, scaring off foreign investors,
and spurring inflation. The government plans to boost energy imports
to relieve the shortages. In addition, the government is moving to
improve the poor national road network, a long-standing barrier to
sustained economic growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $15.69 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 49%
industry: 27%
services: 24% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
30% (2001 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000
domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 50%, industry and services 50%

Unemployment rate:
17% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $697 million
expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Industrial production growth rate:
9% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
5.289 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
5.898 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
221 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
5,952 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
22,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
185.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.316 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes;
meat, dairy products

Exports:
$340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude
oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Exports - partners:
Italy 76.6%, Germany 5.6%, Greece 2.7% (2002)

Imports:
$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Italy 39.4%, Greece 24.5%, Turkey 6%, Germany 5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$784 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)

Currency:
lek (ALL)

Currency code:
ALL

Exchange rates:
leke per US dollar - NA (2002), 143.49 (2001), 143.71 (2000),
137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Albania

Telephones - main lines in use:
120,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
250,000 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone service in
Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is
doubtful that every village has telephone service
domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for
every village; in 1992, following the fall of the Communist
government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used
it to build fences
international: inadequate; international traffic carried by
microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios:
1 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
700,000 (2001)

Internet country code:
.al

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (2001)

Internet users:
12,000 (2001)

Transportation Albania

Railways:
total: 447 km
standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 18,000 km
paved: 5,400 km
unpaved: 12,600 km (2000)

Waterways:
43 km
note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and
Lake Prespa (1990)

Pipelines:
gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 21,954 GRT/34,412 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 11, roll on/roll off 1, includes some
foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:
Croatia 1, Honduras 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
12 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
over 3,047 m: 1

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Albania

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops,
Border Guards

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 906,168 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 742,837 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 36,985 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$56.5 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.49% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Albania

Disputes - international:
the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of
ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia
and Montenegro, and in the northern Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, while continuing to seek regional cooperation; some
outside ethnic Albanian groups voice union with Albania

Illicit drugs:
increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian
opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to
a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for
Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production;
ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly
expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with
regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal
aliens

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Algeria

Introduction Algeria

Background:
After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in
1962. The surprising first round success of the fundamentalist FIS
(Islamic Salvation Front) party in the December 1991 balloting
caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS, and postpone
the subsequent elections. The fundamentalist response has resulted
in a continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state
apparatus, which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring
pro-government and moderate religious-based parties. The FIS's armed
wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000 and many
armed militants of other groups surrendered under an amnesty program
designed to promote national reconciliation. Nevertheless, small
numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces
and carrying out isolated attacks on villages and other types of
terrorist attacks. Other concerns include Berber unrest, large-scale
unemployment, a shortage of housing, and the need to diversify the
petroleum-based economy.

Geography Algeria

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco
and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 6,343 km
border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km,
Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km

Coastline:
998 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along
coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau;
sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer

Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point: Tahat 3,003 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use:
arable land: 3.21%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 96.58% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
5,600 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and
floods in rainy season

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices;
desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes,
and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers
and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming
polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff;
inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Geography - note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

People Algeria

Population:
32,818,500 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.8% (male 5,485,197; female 5,285,434)
15-64 years: 63% (male 10,460,475; female 10,224,389)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 624,839; female 738,166) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.5 years
male: 22.3 years
female: 22.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.65% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
21.94 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.09 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 37.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 40.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.54 years
male: 69.14 years
female: 72.01 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.55 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian

Ethnic groups:
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70%
male: 78.8%
female: 61% (2003 est.)

Government Algeria

Country name:
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Algiers

Administrative divisions:
48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain
Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida,
Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa,
El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel,
Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila,
Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi
Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret,
Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence:
5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

Constitution:
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November
1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996

Legal system:
socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of
legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of
various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 9 May 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 April 1999 (next to be held NA April 2004);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA elected president; percent of
vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA over 70%; note - his six opposing
candidates withdrew on the eve of the election citing electoral fraud

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or
Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - changed from 380 seats
in the 2002 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (144 seats; one-third of
the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by
indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution
requires half the council to be renewed every three years)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next
to be held NA 2007); Council of Nations - last held 30 December 2000
(next to be held NA 2003)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 48, MRN 43, MSP 38, PT
21, FNA 8, Nahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 29; Council of
Nations - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 79,
FLN 12, FFS 4, MSP 1 (remaining 48 seats appointed by the president,
party breakdown NA)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:
Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; Democratic National
Rally or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, chairman]; Islamic Salvation Front or
FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ and Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh
KEBIR (self-exile in Germany)]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP
[Boujerra SOLTANI]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali
BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Ali BENFLIS, secretary
general]; National Reform Movement or MRN [Abdellah DJABALLAH];
National Renewal Party or PRA [leader NA]; Progressive Republican
Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said
SAADI, secretary general]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement
[Lahbib ADAMI]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL];
Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general
(self-exile in Switzerland)]; Union for Democracy and Liberty
[Mouley BOUKHALAFA]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]
note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted
in March 1997

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Idriss JAZAIRY
chancery: 2137 Wyoming Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. ERDMAN (as of 10 July 2003)
embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers
telephone: [213] (21) 691-425/255/186
FAX: [213] (21) 69-39-79

Flag description:
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red,
five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color
boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional
symbols of Islam (the state religion)

Economy Algeria

Economy - overview:
The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting
for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of
export earnings. Algeria has the fifth-largest reserves of natural
gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks
14th in oil reserves. Algeria's financial and economic indicators
improved during the mid-1990s, in part because of policy reforms
supported by the IMF and debt rescheduling from the Paris Club.
Algeria's finances in 2000-03 benefited from substantial trade
surpluses, record foreign exchange reserves, and reductions in
foreign debt. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and
increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to
diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment
outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in
reducing high unemployment and improving living standards.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $173.8 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 60%
services: 32% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
23% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
9.4 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
government 29%, agriculture 25%, construction and public works 15%,
industry 11%, other 20% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:
31% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $20.3 billion
expenditures: $18.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.8
billion (2001 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical,
petrochemical, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
24.69 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.7%
hydro: 0.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
22.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
340 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
275 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1.52 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
209,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
13.1 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
80.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
22.32 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
57.98 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.739 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle

Exports:
$19.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

Exports - partners:
Italy 18.9%, Spain 13.1%, France 13%, US 12.1%, Netherlands 6%,
Brazil 5.9%, Canada 5.7%, Turkey 5.3%, Belgium 5.1% (2002)

Imports:
$10.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 31%, Italy 10%, US 8.3%, Germany 6.6%, Spain 5.9%, Turkey
4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$21.6 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$162 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
Algerian dinar (DZD)

Currency code:
DZD

Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars per US dollar - 79.68 (2002), 77.22 (2001), 75.26
(2000), 66.57 (1999), 58.74 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Algeria

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.3 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
33,500 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not
exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main
lines increased in the last few years to a little more than
2,000,000, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much
of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient
domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic
earth stations are planned)
international: 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to Italy,
France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and
Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and
1 Arabsat (1998)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)

Radios:
7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.dz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
180,000 (2001)

Transportation Algeria

Railways:
total: 3,973 km
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 104,000 km
paved: 71,656 km (including 640 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,344 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
condensate 1,344 km; gas 87,347 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km;
oil 6,496 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Beni Saf, Dellys, Djendjene,
Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda, Tenes

Merchant marine:
total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 884,032 GRT/1,010,777 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas
10, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 12, short-sea passenger 4,
specialized tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered
here as a flag of convenience: United Arab Emirates 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:
136 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 54
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 82
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
under 914 m: 19 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 38

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Algeria

Military branches:
People's National Army (ANP), Algerian National Navy (ANN), Air
Force, Territorial Air Defense, National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 9,243,884 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,646,418 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 412,545 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.87 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.1% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Algeria

Disputes - international:
Libya claims about 32,000 sq km in a dormant dispute still
reflected on its maps in southeastern Algeria; armed bandits based
in Mali attack southern Algerian towns; border with Morocco remains
closed over mutual claims of harboring militants, arms smuggling;
Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects
Moroccan administration of Western Sahara

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@American Samoa

Introduction American Samoa

Background:
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European
explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter
half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which
Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally
occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the
excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Geography American Samoa

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
14 20 S, 170 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 199 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 199 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
116 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual
rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to April,
dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains,
two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m

Natural resources:
pumice, pumicite

Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10%
other: 85% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons common from December to March

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the
government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to
improve water catchments and pipelines

Geography - note:
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the
South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and
protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic
location in the South Pacific Ocean

People American Samoa

Population:
70,260 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.5% (male 13,557; female 12,818)
15-64 years: 57% (male 19,712; female 20,346)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 2,081; female 1,746) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.6 years
male: 21.1 years
female: 22.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.22% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
23.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.75 years
male: 71.35 years
female: 80.41 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.3 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan

Ethnic groups:
Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%

Religions:
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and
other 30%

Languages:
Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian
languages), English
note: most people are bilingual

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)

Government American Samoa

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS

Dependency status:
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by
the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Pago Pago

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a,
Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western

Independence:
none (territory of the US)

National holiday:
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Constitution:
ratified 1966, in effect 1967

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA reelected governor; percent of
vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter REID
(independent) 47.8%
note: Togiola TULAFONO became acting governor 26 March 2003 upon the
death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)
following the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA on 26 March 2003;
TULAFONO had been the Lieutenant Governor
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of
Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote
and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island;
members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are
elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party
- NA%; seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2002 (next
to be held NA November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2002
(next to be held NA November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

Judicial branch:
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by
the US Secretary of the Interior)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US)

Flag description:
blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer
side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald
eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional
Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club

Economy American Samoa

Economy - overview:
This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of
the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked
to the US, with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign
trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of
the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers
from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's
economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger
and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its
limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism, a
developing sector, has been held back by the recurring financial
difficulties in East Asia.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 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:
14,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990)

Unemployment rate:
6% (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY96/97)

Industries:
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels),
handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
130 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra,
pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock

Exports:
$345 million (1999)

Exports - commodities:
canned tuna 93%

Exports - partners:
Indonesia 71.1%, Japan 7.7%, Samoa 7.7%, Australia 6.7% (2002)

Imports:
$452 million (1999)

Imports - commodities:
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%,
machinery and parts 6%

Imports - partners:
Australia 41%, New Zealand 23%, South Korea 18% (2002)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in
1994

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications American Samoa

Telephones - main lines in use:
13,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,550 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
57,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
14,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.as

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation American Samoa

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 350 km
paved: 150 km
unpaved: 200 km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
3 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military American Samoa

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues American Samoa

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Andorra

Introduction Andorra

Background:
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique
co-principality, ruled by the French chief of state and the Spanish
bishop of Urgel. In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the
titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into
a parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished,
mountainous Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War
II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal)
are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Geography Andorra

Location:
Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

Geographic coordinates:
42 30 N, 1 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 468 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers

Terrain:
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Land use:
arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.78% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
avalanches

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil
erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the
Pyrenees

People Andorra

Population:
69,150 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.1% (male 5,473; female 4,974)
15-64 years: 71.7% (male 26,063; female 23,542)
65 years and over: 13.2% (male 4,543; female 4,555) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 39.4 years
female: 38.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.06% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
9.65 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 83.49 years
male: 80.58 years
female: 86.58 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran

Ethnic groups:
Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6%
(1998)

Religions:
Roman Catholic (predominant)

Languages:
Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Andorra

Country name:
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra

Government type:
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its
heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president
of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented
locally by coprinces' representatives

Capital:
Andorra la Vella

Administrative divisions:
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella,
Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia
de Loria

Independence:
1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of
Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel)

National holiday:
Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)

Constitution:
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved
by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993

Legal system:
based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal