Chapter XXX: Front Matter (30)

Labor force:
1.36 million (2002)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 82.5%, industry 12.5%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $614
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement,
potash, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
7.091 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.4%
hydro: 0.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
6.86 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
267 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
103,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
445,000 bbl (37257)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
290 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:
3.256 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats,
poultry

Exports:
$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners:
Iraq 20.1%, US 14.5%, India 8.1%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Israel 4.4%
(2002)

Imports:
$4.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals,
manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Iraq 13.4%, Germany 8.8%, US 8%, China 6%, France 4.2%, UK 4.1%,
Italy 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$8.2 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $553 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:
JOD

Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.71 (2002), 0.71 (2001), 0.71
(2000), 0.71 (1999), 0.71 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Jordan

Telephones - main lines in use:
403,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
11,500 (1995)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service has improved recently with the
increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to
the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access
to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and
29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi
Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links
total about 4,000

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios:
1.66 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
500,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.jo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
212,000 (2002)

Transportation Jordan

Railways:
total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 7,245 km
paved: 7,245 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 10 km; oil 743 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Al 'Aqabah

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 63,522 GRT/79,776 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, container 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Greece 6 (2002 est.)

Airports:
17 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Jordan

Military branches:
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal
Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations
Command or SOCOM); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls
under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis
situations

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,577,136 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,113,787 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 58,840 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$757.5 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
8.6% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Jordan

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Juan de Nova Island

Introduction Juan de Nova Island

Background:
Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer,
the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been
exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military
garrison oversees a meteorological station.

Geography Juan de Nova Island

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third
of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
17 03 S, 42 45 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 4.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.4 sq km

Area - comparative:
about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
24.1 km

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

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
low and flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 10 m

Natural resources:
guano deposits and other fertilizers

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (90% forest) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
wildlife sanctuary

People Juan de Nova Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few
meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2003 est.)

Government Juan de Nova Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
local long form: none

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the
Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (possession of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (possession of France)

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Juan de Nova Island

Economy - overview:
Up to 12,000 tons of guano are mined per year.

Communications Juan de Nova Island

Communications - note:
1 meteorological station

Transportation Juan de Nova Island

Railways:
total: NA km; short line going to a jetty

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Military Juan de Nova Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Juan de Nova Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Kazakhstan

Introduction Kazakhstan

Background:
Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as
a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence has caused many of
these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
and other foreign powers.

Geography Kazakhstan

Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe

Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now
split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea
(1,894 km)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Terrain:
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

Natural resources:
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 11.23%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 88.72% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
23,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

Environment - current issues:
radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former
defense industries and test ranges throughout the country pose
health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe
in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the
Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and
leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural
salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown
into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil
pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from
poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory
enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome

People Kazakhstan

Population:
16,763,795 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,161,510; female 2,089,780)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 5,425,545; female 5,769,457)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 458,379; female 859,124) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 26.6 years
female: 29.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.17% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-5.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 58.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 63.41 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.48 years
male: 58.16 years
female: 69.06 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 300 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups:
Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Uighur 1.4%, other 6.6% (1999 census)

Religions:
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Languages:
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in
everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic
communication") 95% (2001 est.)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.7% (1999 est.)

Government Kazakhstan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: none

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in
December 1998

Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala,
singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
(Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
(Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses); in 1995 the Governments of
Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
(Baykonyr, formerly Leninsk)

Independence:
16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 25 October (1990)

Constitution:
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani KASYMOV 4.7%, Engels GABBASSOV 1.5%
note: President NAZARBAYEV expanded his presidential powers by
decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and
dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously
scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's
previous term was extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held
30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats - previously
47 seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members
are popularly elected, two from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital
of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms) and the
Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis members are elected from
the winning party's lists; members are popularly elected to serve
five-year terms)
election results: note - the election results are for the old Senate
structure; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NA; 16 seats up for election in 1999, candidates nominated by local
councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Otan 23, Civic Party 13, Communist Party 3, Agrarian Party 3,
People's Cooperative Party 1, independents 34; note - most
independent candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises
and other pro-government institutions
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to
be held NA December 2005); Majilis - last held 10 and 24 October and
26 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)

Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; Ak Zhol Party "White Road" [Bulat
ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Zhanat YERTLESOVA, cofounders]; AUL
"Village" [leader NA]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first
secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first
secretary]; Otan "Fatherland" [Gani YESIMOV, chairman]; Patriots'
Party [Gani KASYMOV]
note: only seven parties in Kazakhstan have been registered under
the new political party law passed in July 2002

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Alash [Sabet-Kazy AKATAY]; AZAMAT
"Citizen" Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSEITOV,
cochairmen]; Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan [Galymzhan ZHAKIYANOV,
Nurzhan SUBKHANBERDIN, cochairmen]; Labor and Worker's Movement
[Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human
Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Orleu "Development"
Movement [Seidakhmet KUTTYKADAM]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye
[Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; People's Congress of Kazakhstan of
NKK [Olzhas SULEIMENOV, chairman]; People's Cooperative Party of
Kazakhstan [Umirzak SARSENOV]; Republican People's Party of
Kazakhstan or RNPK [Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN]; Socialist Party [Petr
SVOIK]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
480091
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 63-13-75, 50-76-23, 50-76-27
(emergency number)
FAX: [7] (3272) 63-38-83

Flag description:
sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on
the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold

Economy Kazakhstan

Economy - overview:
Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in
territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves
as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also
is a large agricultural - livestock and grain - producer.
Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and
processing of these natural resources and also on a growing
machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment,
tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a
short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual
decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government
program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in
a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan
enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and a solid 9.5% in 2002 -
thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic
reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. The opening of the
Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's
Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export
capacity. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy
designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the
oil sector, by developing light industry. Additionally, the policy
aims to reduce the influence of foreign investment and foreign
personnel; the government has engaged in several disputes with
foreign oil companies over the terms of production agreements, and
tensions continue.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $120 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 40%
services: 51% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
26% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 27.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.4 (1996)

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

Labor force:
8.4 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.2 billion
expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper,
titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel;
tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors,
construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:
10% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
52.43 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 84.3%
hydro: 15.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
48.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
3.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
798,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
195,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.709 billion bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock

Exports:
$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%,
machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Exports - partners:
Russia 16.2%, Bermuda 12.1%, China 11.3%, Germany 8.8%, Italy 5.5%,
Ukraine 4.9%, France 4% (2002)

Imports:
$9.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8%
(2001)

Imports - partners:
Russia 37.1%, US 9.3%, China 9.3%, Germany 9.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$6.6 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$610 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000

Currency:
tenge (KZT)

Currency code:
KZT

Exchange rates:
tenge per US dollar - 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001), 142.13 (2000),
119.52 (1999), 78.3 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Kazakhstan

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.92 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
400,000 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
international: international traffic with other former Soviet
republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay
and with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe
(TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios:
6.47 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
3.88 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (with their own international channels) (2001)

Internet users:
100,000 (2002)

Transportation Kazakhstan

Railways:
total: 13,601 km
broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 81,331 km
paved: 77,020 km
unpaved: 4,311 km (2000)

Waterways:
3,900 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers

Pipelines:
condensate 640 km; gas 10,527 km; oil 9,771 km; refined products
1,187 km; water 1,465 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
ships by type: roll on/roll off 1
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
convenience: US 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
488 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 60
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 428
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 103
under 914 m: 251 (2002)

Military Kazakhstan

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Border
Service, Republican Guard

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,580,754 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,658,815 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 174,111 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Transnational Issues Kazakhstan

Disputes - international:
Kazakhstan and China have resolved their border dispute and are
working to delimit their large open borders to control population
migration, illegal activities, and trade; delimitation of boundary
with Russia is scheduled for completion in 2003 - delimitations with
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are complete with demarcations underway
- delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is largely complete; equidistant
seabed treaties have been signed with Azerbaijan and Russia in the
Caspian Sea but no resolution has been made on dividing the water
column among any of the littoral states; no resolution of Caspian
seabed boundary with Turkmenistan

Illicit drugs:
significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as
well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug
ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Kenya

Introduction Kenya

Background:
Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led
Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when President
Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession.
The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when
the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole
legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure
for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured
opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992
and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as
having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President
MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful
elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic,
united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated
KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a
campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.

Geography Kenya

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and
Tanzania

Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 3,477 km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Coastline:
536 km

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

Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Terrain:
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley;
fertile plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

Natural resources:
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets,
wildlife, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 7.03%
permanent crops: 0.91%
other: 92.06% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
670 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of
water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers;
water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil
erosion; desertification; poaching

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
value

People Kenya

Population:
31,639,091
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.3% (male 6,609,904; female 6,461,945)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 8,900,615; female 8,766,698)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 389,918; female 510,011) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.4 years
female: 18.5 years (2002)
male: 18.2 years

Population growth rate:
1.27% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to
220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia
145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 60.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 66.37 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.22 years
male: 45.02 years
female: 45.43 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
15% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.5 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
190,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan

Ethnic groups:
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%,
Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab)
1%

Religions:
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim
10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
beliefs vary widely

Languages:
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous
languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.1%
male: 90.6%
female: 79.7% (2003 est.)

Government Kenya

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Nairobi

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*,
North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Independence:
12 December 1963 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Constitution:
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001

Legal system:
based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law,
tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in
1991

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and
Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002)
and Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute
terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the
vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to
avoid a runoff; election last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held
NA December 2007); vice president appointed by the president
election results: President Mwai KIBAKI elected; percent of vote -
Mwai KIBAKI 63%, Uhuru KENYATTA 30%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called
"nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected
by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2
ex-officio members)
elections: last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held by early 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7; ex-officio 2; seats appointed
by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High
Court

Political parties and leaders:
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People
[Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU
[Uhuru KENYATTA]; National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Mwai KIBAKI] -
the governing party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; National
Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of
political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA];
Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava
MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme
Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW,
UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UNMOP, UNU, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO
consulate(s) general: offices in Los Angeles and New York are
closed; mission to the UN remains open
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: US Embassy, United Nations Ave., Gigiti; P. O. Box 606
Village Market Nairobi
mailing address: Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2) 537-800
FAX: [254] (2) 537-810

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the
red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering
crossed spears is superimposed at the center

Economy Kenya

Economy - overview:
Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is
hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose
prices remain low. Following strong economic growth in 1995 and
1996, Kenya's economy has stagnated, with GDP growth failing to keep
up with the rate of population growth. In 1997, the IMF suspended
Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the
government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A
severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems,
causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output.
As a result, GDP contracted by 0.3% in 2000. The IMF, which had
resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again
halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute
several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains
in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low
investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1%. Growth fell below
1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager
donor support, and political infighting up to the elections. In the
key December 27, 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old reign
ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable
economic problems facing the nation. Substantial donor support and
rooting out corruption are essential to making Kenya realize its
substantial economic potential.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $32.89 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 13%
services: 63% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.9 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
10 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75% 75%-80%

Unemployment rate:
40% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.91 billion
expenditures: $2.97 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products
processing; oil refining, cement; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
4.033 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 71%
hydro: 17.7%
other: 11.3% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
3.981 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
57,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy
products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs

Exports:
$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish,
cement

Exports - partners:
Uganda 18.3%, UK 12.9%, US 8%, Netherlands 7.6%, Pakistan 4.9%,
Tanzania 4.4%, Egypt 4.1% (2002)

Imports:
$3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor
vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics

Imports - partners:
UAE 12%, Saudi Arabia 8.7%, US 8.1%, UK 7.1%, South Africa 7.1%,
France 5.8%, China 5.5%, Japan 5%, India 4.8% (2002)

Debt - external:
$5.7 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$457 million (1997)

Currency:
Kenyan shilling (KES)

Currency code:
KES

Exchange rates:
Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.75 (2002), 78.56 (2001), 76.18
(2000), 70.33 (1999), 60.37 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Kenya

Telephones - main lines in use:
310,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
540,000 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize except
for service to business
domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 24, FM 18, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
3.07 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
8 (2002)

Televisions:
730,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ke

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
65 (2001)

Internet users:
500,000 (2002)

Transportation Kenya

Railways:
total: 2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 63,942 km
paved: 7,737 km
unpaved: 56,205 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA
note: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of
Kenya

Pipelines:
refined products 752 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
230 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 211
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 113
under 914 m: 83 (2002)

Military Kenya

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 8,096,142 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,017,501 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$185.2 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Kenya

Disputes - international:
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi triangle"

Illicit drugs:
widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country
for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian
methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant
potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status
as a regional financial center, massive corruption, and relatively
high levels of narcotics-associated activities

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Kingman Reef

Introduction Kingman Reef

Background:
The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a
way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights
during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef,
which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse
marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out
to 12 NM around the reef were designated a US National Wildlife
Refuge.

Geography Kingman Reef

Location:
Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and American Samoa

Geographic coordinates:
6 24 N, 162 24 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 1 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
3 km

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

Climate:
tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds

Terrain:
low and nearly level

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 1 m

Natural resources:
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter
makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:
none

Geography - note:
barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public

People Kingman Reef

Population:
uninhabited (July 2003 est.)

Government Kingman Reef

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Kingman Reef

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the
Interior
note: on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior accepted
restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman Reef
from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18
January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be
administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this
refuge is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of
Kingman Reef out to the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea limit

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Kingman Reef

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Kingman Reef

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American
Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
(2002)

Military Kingman Reef

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Kingman Reef

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Kiribati

Introduction Kiribati

Background:
The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and
complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US
relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line
Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Geography Kiribati

Location:
Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling
the equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from
Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed
that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert
Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line
Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the
International Date Line

Geographic coordinates:
1 25 N, 173 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 811 sq km
note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
Phoenix Islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 811 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,143 km

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

Climate:
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Natural resources:
phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 50.68%
other: 49.32% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
very sensitive to changes in sea level

Environment - current issues:
heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy
migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines
and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk

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

Geography - note:
21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in
Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

People Kiribati

Population:
98,549 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 19,839; female 19,333)
15-64 years: 57% (male 27,705; female 28,438)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,385; female 1,849) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 20.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.26% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 56.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.93 years
male: 57.97 years
female: 64.03 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.28 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: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati

Ethnic groups:
predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian

Religions:
Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some
Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church
of God (1999)

Languages:
I-Kiribati, English (official)

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

Government Kiribati

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
former: Gilbert Islands
note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Tarawa

Administrative divisions:
3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - in
addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line
Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island
councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama,
Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati,
Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea,
Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)

Independence:
12 July 1979 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Constitution:
12 July 1979

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President NA; note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
candidates from among their members and then those candidates
compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote
for a four-year term; election last held 4 July 2003 (next to be
held not later than July 2007); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA
9.1%
cabinet: 12-member Cabinet appointed by the president from among the
members of the House of Parliament
head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President NA; note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats;
39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member - the attorney
general, one appointed to represent Banaba, and one other; members
serve four-year terms)
elections: first round elections last held 29 November 2002; second
round elections held 6 December 2002 (next to be held by November
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)
note: new legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first
round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all
levels are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders:
Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te
Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP
[leader NA]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
structures

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO
(applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary
consulate in Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the
Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati

Flag description:
the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a
yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal
wavy white stripes to represent the ocean

Economy Kiribati

Economy - overview:
A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few
natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were
exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and
fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy
has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is
constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure,
and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more
than one-fifth of GDP. The financial sector is at an early stage of
development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives.
Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and
China is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25%-50% of GDP in
recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than
$5 million each year.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $79 million - supplemented by a nearly
equal amount from external sources (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 7%
services: 63% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers

Unemployment rate:
2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $28.4 million
expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
fishing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
0.7% (1991 est.)

Electricity - production:
7 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
6.51 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
190 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish

Exports:
$6 million f.o.b. (1998)

Exports - commodities:
copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish

Exports - partners:
Japan 56.7%, Thailand 16.6%, South Korea 16.3% (2002)

Imports:
$44 million c.i.f. (1999)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured
goods, fuel

Imports - partners:
France 28.7%, Australia 26.3%, Fiji 12.5%, Japan 9.5%, Latvia 5.4%,
US 4.6%, New Zealand 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$10 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$15.5 million largely from UK and Japan (1995)

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.84 (2002), 1.93 (2001), 1.72
(2000), 1.55 (1999), 1.59 (1998)

Fiscal year:
NA

Communications Kiribati

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,800 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)

Radios:
17,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (not reported to be active) (2002)

Televisions:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ki

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
1,000 (2000)

Transportation Kiribati

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 670 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands)

Ports and harbors:
Banaba, Betio, English Harbour, Kanton

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT
ships by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
20 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 4 (2002)

Military Kiribati

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law
enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts
are on all islands)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Military - note:
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is
provided by Australia and NZ

Transnational Issues Kiribati

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Korea, North

Introduction Korea, North

Background:
Following World War II, Korea was split, with the northern half
coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming
Western-oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his
father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in
1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on
international food aid to feed its population while continuing to
expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North
Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed
forces are of major concern to the international community. In
December 2002, North Korea repudiated a 1994 agreement that shut
down its nuclear reactors and expelled UN monitors, further raising
fears it would produce nuclear weapons.

Geography Korea, North

Location:
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 127 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 120,540 sq km
water: 130 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries:
total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

Coastline:
2,495 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
note: military boundary line 50 NM in the Sea of Japan and the
exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign
vessels and aircraft without permission are banned

Climate:
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys;
coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

Natural resources:
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper,
gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 14.12%
permanent crops: 2.49%
other: 83.39% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
14,600 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional
typhoons during the early fall

Environment - current issues:
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne
disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of
the Sea

Geography - note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia;
mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

People Korea, North

Population:
22,466,481 (July 2003 est.)