Chapter XXXV: Front Matter (35)

Economy - overview:
Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971
through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into an
emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven
by exports - particularly of electronics - and, as a result Malaysia
was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the
Information Technology (IT) sector in 2001. GDP in 2001 grew only
0.5% due to an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a
substantial fiscal stimulus package mitigated the worst of the
recession and the economy rebounded in 2002. Healthy foreign
exchange reserves and relatively small external debt make it
unlikely that Malaysia will experience a crisis similar to the one
in 1997, but the economy remains vulnerable to a more protracted
slowdown in Japan and the US, top export destinations and key
sources of foreign investment.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $198.4 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 40%
services: 48% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
8% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 38.4% (1997 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49.2 (1997)

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

Labor force:
9.9 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
local trade and tourism 28%, manufacturing 27%, agriculture,
forestry, and fisheries 16%, services 10%, government 10%,
construction 9% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
3.8% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $20.3 billion
expenditures: $27.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.4
billion (2001 est.)

Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and
manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining
and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging,
petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum
production and refining, logging

Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
68.34 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 89.5%
hydro: 10.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
63.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
75 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
729,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
472,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
3.729 billion bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
pepper; timber

Exports:
$95.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and
wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals (2000)

Exports - partners:
US 21%, Singapore 17.4%, Japan 10.9%, China 6.5%, Hong Kong 5%,
Thailand 4% (2002)

Imports:
$76.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles,
iron and steel products, chemicals (2000)

Imports - partners:
Japan 16.9%, Singapore 15.9%, US 15.5%, China 7.3%, South Korea 5%,
Taiwan 4.7% (2002)

Debt - external:
$47.5 billion (2002 est.)

Currency:
ringgit (MYR)

Currency code:
MYR

Exchange rates:
ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001), 3.8 (2000), 3.8
(1999), 3.92 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Malaysia

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.6 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5 million (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system; international service excellent
domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
satellite system with 2 earth stations
international: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
Ocean) (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)

Radios:
10.9 million (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 15 high-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
10.8 million (1999)

Internet country code:
.my

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
7 (2000)

Internet users:
5.7 million (2002)

Transportation Malaysia

Railways:
total: 2,418 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 65,877 km
paved: 49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways)
unpaved: 15,942 km (1999)

Waterways:
7,296 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km

Pipelines:
condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products 114
km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad
Datu, Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, George Town (Penang), Port Dickson,
Port Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung Kidurong, Tawau

Merchant marine:
total: 366 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,111,476 GRT/7,242,323 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 1, China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 15,
Indonesia 3, Japan 4, Monaco 1, Philippines 2, Singapore 78, South
Korea 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 62, cargo 103, chemical tanker 37, container 69,
liquefied gas 23, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker
55, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 8

Airports:
114 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 79
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 72 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Malaysia

Military branches:
Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force,
Royal Malaysian Police Field Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border
Scouts

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,067,155 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,672,517 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 218,216 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.03% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Malaysia

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute over Spratly Islands with China,
Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and possibly Brunei; claimants in
November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea," a mechanism to ease tension but which fell
short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; disputes over
deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation
on Johor, maritime boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca
Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration
on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and
Sipadan islands off the coast of Sabah, also claimed by Indonesia
and Philippines, to Malaysia; a small section of the
Malaysia-Thailand boundary in the Kolok River remains in dispute

Illicit drugs:
transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted
vigorously and carries severe penalties

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Maldives

Introduction Maldives

Background:
The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then
under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three
years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on
the archipelago.

Geography Maldives

Location:
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest
of India

Geographic coordinates:
3 15 N, 73 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 300 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 300 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
644 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Terrain:
flat, with white sandy beaches

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu
Atoll 2.4 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 3.33%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 90% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise

Environment - current issues:
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global
warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching

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

Geography - note:
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands,
plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic
location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

People Maldives

Population:
329,684 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.9% (male 75,991; female 71,826)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 87,734; female 84,150)
65 years and over: 3% (male 5,073; female 4,910) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.3 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.91% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
7.65 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 60.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 59.23 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.3 years
male: 62.07 years
female: 64.6 years (2003 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian

Ethnic groups:
South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

Religions:
Sunni Muslim

Languages:
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic),
English spoken by most government officials

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2%
male: 97.1%
female: 97.3% (2003 est.)

Government Maldives

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Male

Administrative divisions:
19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and 1 other first-order
administrative division*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu,
Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu,
Lhaviyani, Maale*, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu

Independence:
26 July 1965 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Constitution:
adopted January 1998

Legal system:
based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law
primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November
1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the nomination
must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval
margin is required); president elected for a five-year term;
election last held 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003)
election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in
referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon
Abdul GAYOOM 90.3%
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; note -
need not be members of Majlis
head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by
popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 20 November 1999 (next to be held NA November
2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 42

Judicial branch:
High Court

Political parties and leaders:
although political parties are not banned, none exist

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a
Permanent Mission to the UN in New York; permanent representative is
Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to
Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there

Flag description:
red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical
white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side
of the flag

Economy Maldives

Economy - overview:
Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and
more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90%
of government tax revenue comes from import duties and
tourism-related taxes. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands
in 1998. Fishing is a second leading sector. The Maldivian
Government began an economic reform program in 1989 initially by
lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private
sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more
foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a
lesser role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability
of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Most staple
foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment
production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18%
of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and
possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area
is one meter or less above sea level.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 18%
services: 62% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
88,000 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
NEGL%

Budget:
revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut
processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
mining

Industrial production growth rate:
4.4% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production:
117 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
108.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
3,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish

Exports:
$110 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish, clothing

Exports - partners:
US 51.7%, Sri Lanka 16.2%, Thailand 9.3%, Japan 7.6%, UK 4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$395 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Singapore 25.6%, Sri Lanka 15%, UAE 14.5%, India 6.6%, Malaysia
5.7%, Thailand 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$281 million (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
rufiyaa (MVR)

Currency code:
MVR

Exchange rates:
rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2002), 12.24 (2001), 11.77 (2000),
11.77 (1999), 11.77 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Maldives

Telephones - main lines in use:
21,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,290 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

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

Radios:
35,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
10,000 (1999)

Internet country code:
.mv

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
6,000 (2001)

Transportation Maldives

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Gan, Male

Merchant marine:
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 42,689 GRT/56,132 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1
(2002 est.)

Airports:
5 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)

Military Maldives

Military branches:
National Security Service

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 78,025 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 43,386 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$34.46 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
8.6% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Maldives

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Mali

Introduction Mali

Background:
The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in
1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few
months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed
Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 with a
transitional government and in 1992 when Mali's first democratic
presidential election was held. After his reelection in 1997,
President Alpha KONARE continued to push through political and
economic reforms and to fight corruption. In keeping with Mali's
two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was
succeeded by Amadou TOURE.

Geography Mali

Location:
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Geographic coordinates:
17 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1.24 million sq km
water: 20,000 sq km
land: 1.22 million sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 7,243 km
border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea
858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km,
Senegal 419 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid,
and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in
south, rugged hills in northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Natural resources:
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are
known but not exploited

Land use:
arable land: 3.77%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 96.19% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,380 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring
droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies
of potable water; poaching

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
northern, arid Saharan

People Mali

Population:
11,626,219 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47.2% (male 2,759,802; female 2,727,226)
15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,771,532; female 3,017,348)
65 years and over: 3% (male 161,983; female 188,328) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.3 years
male: 15.7 years
female: 16.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.82% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 119.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 112.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 125.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.43 years
male: 44.7 years
female: 46.19 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian

Ethnic groups:
Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%,
Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

Religions:
Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%

Languages:
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 46.4%
male: 53.5%
female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

Government Mali

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mali
conventional short form: Mali
local short form: Mali
former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic
local long form: Republique de Mali

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Bamako

Administrative divisions:
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal,
Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou

Independence:
22 September 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

Constitution:
adopted 12 January 1992

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally
established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed Ag HAMANI (since 9
June 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(two-term limit); election last held 12 May 2002 (next to be held NA
May 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE elected president; percent of
vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%, Soumaila CISSE 35.6%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 July and 28 July 2002 (next to be held NA
July 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda Traore KEITA, party
chairman]; Block of Alternative for the Renewal of Africa or BARA
[Yoro DIAKITE]; Democratic and Social Convention or CDS [Mamadou
Bakary SANGARE, chairman]; Hope 2002 [leader NA]; Movement for the
Independence, Renaissance and Integration of Africa or MIRIA
[Mohamed Lamine TRAORE, Mouhamedou DICKO]; National Congress for
Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL, chairman]; Party for
Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE]; Party for
National Renewal or PARENA [Yoro DIAKITE, chairman; Tiebile DRAME,
secretary general]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Ali
GNANGADO]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Almamy SYLLA,
chairman]; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Bonbasor KEITA, chairman];
Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou
TOURE, secretary general]; Union of Democratic Forces for Progress
or UFDP [Youssouf TOURE, secretary general]; Union for Democracy and
Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and
Fronts of Azawad or MFUA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950
chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vicki HUDDLESTONE
embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako
mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako
telephone: [223] (2) 223-833
FAX: [223] (2) 223-712

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Mali

Economy - overview:
Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its
land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal
distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the
riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is
nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and
fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm
commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable
to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along
with gold. The government has continued its successful
implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program
that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign
investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50%
devaluation of the African franc in January 1994 have pushed up
economic growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2002. Worker
remittances and external trade routes have been jeopardized by
continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $9.775 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $900 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 17%
services: 38% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
64% average; 30% of the total population living in urban areas; 70%
of the total population living in rural areas) (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.5 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3.93 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and fishing 80% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $764 million
expenditures: $828 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)

Industries:
food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
480.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 41.7%
hydro: 58.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
446.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing
electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep,
goats

Exports:
$680 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, gold, livestock

Exports - partners:
Thailand 13.9%, Italy 9.8%, India 7.7%, Brazil 5.5%, Germany 5%,
Spain 4.9%, Portugal 4.3%, Taiwan 4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$630 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials,
foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
Cote d'Ivoire 17.1%, France 13.5%, Senegal 6.5%, Germany 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$3.3 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$596.4 million (2001)

Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99
(2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mali

Telephones - main lines in use:
45,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
40,000 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
provides only minimal service
domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open-wire, and
radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio
relay in progress
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five
transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International
(2001)

Radios:
570,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
45,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ml

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (2001)

Internet users:
30,000 (2002)

Transportation Mali

Railways:
total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,815 km

Ports and harbors:
Koulikoro

Airports:
26 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2002)

Military Mali

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard,
National Police (Surete Nationale)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,441,769 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,400,711 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$419.7 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
15% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Mali

Disputes - international:
armed bandits based in Mali attack southern Algerian towns

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Malta

Introduction Malta

Background:
Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The
island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and
remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A
decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the
island has become a freight transshipment point, financial center,
and tourist destination. It is an official candidate for EU
membership.

Geography Malta

Location:
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily
(Italy)

Geographic coordinates:
35 50 N, 14 35 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 316 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 316 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 25 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain:
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)

Natural resources:
limestone, salt, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 31.25%
permanent crops: 3.13%
other: 65.62% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on
desalination

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

Geography - note:
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest
islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being
inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Malta

Population:
400,420 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.5% (male 40,448; female 37,623)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 136,221; female 134,142)
65 years and over: 13% (male 21,730; female 30,256) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 37.2 years
male: 35.6 years
female: 38.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.73% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.43 years
male: 75.94 years
female: 81.14 years (2003 est.)

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

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

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective: Maltese

Ethnic groups:
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with
strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 98%

Languages:
Maltese (official), English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 92.8%
male: 92%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Government Malta

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Malta
conventional short form: Malta
local short form: Malta
local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Valletta

Administrative divisions:
none (administered directly from Valletta); note - Local Councils
carry out administrative orders

Independence:
21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1964)

Constitution:
1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974 and
again in 1987

Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Guido DE MARCO (since 4 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 6
September 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 4 April
1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
five-year term; election last held NA April 1999 (next to be held by
April 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the
deputy prime minister is appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister
election results: Guido DE MARCO elected president; percent of House
of Representatives vote - 54%

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note -
additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular
vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by
popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by April 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD
0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders:
Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Harry
VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party
or PN [Edward FENECH ADAMI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
C, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612
chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony H. GIOIA
embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
Malta VLT 01
mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta
telephone: [356] 21-235-960
FAX: [356] 2124-3229

Flag description:
two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the
upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross,
edged in red

Economy Malta

Economy - overview:
Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and
a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food
needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has no domestic energy
sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing
(especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Malta is
privatizing state-controlled firms and liberalizing markets in order
to prepare for membership in the European Union. The island remains
divided politically, however, over the question of joining the EU.
Continued sluggishness in the global economy is holding back
exports, tourism, and overall growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $6.818 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 25.5%
services: 71.7% (1999)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
160,000 (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
industry 24%, services 71%, agriculture 5% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.5 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000)

Industries:
tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food
and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.768 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
1.644 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut
flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs

Exports:
$2 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures

Exports - partners:
Singapore 17.3%, US 11.4%, UK 9.4%, Germany 9%, France 7.2%, China
6.5%, Italy 6% (2002)

Imports:
$2.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and
semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco

Imports - partners:
Italy 18.3%, France 12.1%, South Korea 11.3%, UK 7.5%, Singapore
5.3%, Germany 5.2%, Japan 5%, US 4.6%, Spain 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$130 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
Maltese lira (MTL)

Currency code:
MTL

Exchange rates:
Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.43 (2002), 0.45 (2001), 0.44 (2000),
0.4 (1999), 0.39 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Malta

Telephones - main lines in use:
187,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
17,691 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios:
255,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2000)

Televisions:
280,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mt

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2002)

Internet users:
59,000 (2002)

Transportation Malta

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 2,254 km
paved: 1,972 km
unpaved: 282 km (2000)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Marsaxlokk, Valletta

Merchant marine:
total: 1,234 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,885,128 GRT/42,467,864 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 4, Austria 6, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 3,
Bulgaria 19, Canada 2, China 16, Croatia 14, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7,
Denmark 3, Estonia 5, Finland 1, Germany 54, Greece 627, Hong Kong
12, Iceland 3, India 10, Iran 2, Israel 26, Italy 36, Japan 2,
Latvia 24, Lebanon 6, Monaco 29, Netherlands 10, Nigeria 2, Norway
43, Poland 29, Portugal 2, Romania 15, Russia 85, Saudi Arabia 1,
Slovenia 2, South Korea 5, Spain 1, Switzerland 54, Syria 4, Turkey
84, Ukraine 25, UAE 3, UK 4, US 10 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 459, cargo 280, chemical tanker 45, combination
bulk 10, combination ore/oil 10, container 80, liquefied gas 3,
livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 1,
passenger 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 236, refrigerated
cargo 37, roll on/roll off 41, short-sea passenger 7, vehicle
carrier 15

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Military Malta

Military branches:
Armed Forces (including land forces [with subordinate air squadron
and maritime squadron] and the Revenue Security Corps), Maltese
Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 99,312 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 79,080 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$60 million (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2000)

Transnational Issues Malta

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western
Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Man, Isle of

Introduction Man, Isle of

Background:
Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th
century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the
British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost
extinct Manx Celtic language.

Geography Man, Isle of

Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and
Ireland

Geographic coordinates:
54 15 N, 4 30 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 572 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
160 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third
of the time

Terrain:
hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
(1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air
pollution

Geography - note:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a
bird sanctuary

People Man, Isle of

Population:
74,261 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 6,637; female 6,337)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 24,373; female 24,165)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,102; female 7,647) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 37.8 years
female: 40.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.53% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.98 years
male: 74.62 years
female: 81.53 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.65 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: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx

Ethnic groups:
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends

Languages:
English, Manx Gaelic

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

Government Man, Isle of

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Douglas

Administrative divisions:
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the
US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own
elections

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Tynwald Day, 5 July

Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not
embody the Manx Constitution

Legal system:
English common law and Manx statute

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26
October 2002)
election results: Richard CORKILL elected chief minister by the
Tynwald
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected
by the Tynwald; election last held 6 December 2001 (next to be held
NA December 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Richard CORKILL (since 6 December
2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch:
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member
body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor
and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the
House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
held NA November 2006)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
independents 19

Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord
Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)

Political parties and leaders:
Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government
[leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;
the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in
order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag,
a two-sided emblem is used

Economy Man, Isle of

Economy - overview:
Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the
economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to
high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on
the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in
high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once
the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP.
Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to
EU markets.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
13.5%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13%
services: 86% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (March 2003 est.)

Labor force:
36,610 (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,
construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and
retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,
public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,
entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%

Unemployment rate:
0.7% (March 2003)

Budget:
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY00/01 est.)

Industries:
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (FY 96/97)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Exports - partners:
UK (2000 est.)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
timber, fertilizers, fish

Imports - partners:
UK (2000)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596
(2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Manx pound is at par with
the British pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Man, Isle of

Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
earth station, submarine cable

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)

Televisions:
27,490 (1999)

Internet country code:
.im

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Man, Isle of

Railways:
total: 60 km (35 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 800 km
paved: 800 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey

Merchant marine:
total: 211 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,297,301 GRT/8,703,079 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 45, France 1, Germany 48, Greece 6, Hong Kong
10, Iceland 1, Italy 8, Monaco 7, Netherlands 3, Norway 5, Sweden 4,
Switzerland 2, UK 70, US 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 32, chemical tanker 20, combination
bulk 2, container 22, liquefied gas 38, petroleum tanker 49, roll
on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5

Airports:
1 (2002)

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

Military Man, Isle of

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Man, Isle of

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Marshall Islands

Introduction Marshall Islands

Background:
After almost four decades under US administration as the
easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact
of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US
nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The
Marshall Islands have been home to the US Army Base Kwajalein
(USAKA) since 1964.

Geography Marshall Islands

Location:
Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean,
about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 181.3 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro,
Rongelap, and Utirik
water: 0 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km

Area - comparative:
about the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
370.4 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border
typhoon belt

Terrain:
low coral limestone and sand islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural resources:
coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Land use:
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 83.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
infrequent typhoons

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon
from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels

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

Geography - note:
two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands;
Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the
famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test
range

People Marshall Islands

Population:
56,429 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.1% (male 11,233; female 10,819)
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 16,857; female 16,003)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 726; female 791) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.3 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 19.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.3% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-6.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 35.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.39 years
male: 67.49 years
female: 71.4 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.12 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: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups:
Micronesian

Religions:
Christian (mostly Protestant)

Languages:
English (widely spoken as a second language, both English and
Marshallese are official languages), two major Marshallese dialects
from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 93.6%
female: 93.7% (1999)

Government Marshall Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
conventional short form: Marshall Islands
former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands)

Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital:
Majuro

Administrative divisions:
33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur,
Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo,
Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili,
Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik,
Wotho, Wotje

Independence:
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)

Constitution:
1 May 1979

Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own
members for a four-year term; election last held 15 November 1999
(next to be held NA November 2003)
election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of
Parliament vote - 100%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held not later
than November 2007)
note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on
matters affecting customary law and practice
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
traditionally there have been no formally organized political
parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or
interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal
platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have
competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party
[Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, ITU, OPCW (signatory), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Honolulu
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. SENKO
embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
Islands 96960-1379
telephone: [692] 247-4011
FAX: [692] 247-4012