Chapter XXXIX: Front Matter (39)

People Nauru

Population:
12,570 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 2,517; female 2,368)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,681; female 3,779)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 116; female 109) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.6 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 20 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
7.08 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 13 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.95 years
male: 58.41 years
female: 65.66 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.4 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: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan

Ethnic groups:
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Religions:
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)

Languages:
Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English
widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and
commercial purposes

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

Government Nauru

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island

Government type:
republic

Capital:
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Administrative divisions:
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada,
Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Independence:
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN
trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Constitution:
29 January 1968

Legal system:
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
election last held 29 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2006)
note: Ludwig SCOTTY was removed from the presidency in a
no-confidence vote 8 August 2003; Rene HARRIS became president
election results: Ludwig SCOTTY elected president 29 May 2003;
Ludwig SCOTTY 10 parliamentary votes, Kinza CLODUMAR 7
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of Parliament
head of government: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held not later than May
2006)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Nauru First Party
3, independents 15

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru
Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader
NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW,
Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Nauru does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a UN office
at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, New York 10017; telephone:
(212) 937-0074
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji
is accredited to Nauru

Flag description:
blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and
a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator
(the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
tribes of Nauru

Economy Nauru

Economy - overview:
Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates,
but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years.
Phosphate production has declined since 1989, as demand has fallen
in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the
remaining phosphate increases, making it less internationally
competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest
per capita incomes in the Third World, few other resources exist
with most necessities being imported, including fresh water from
Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of
income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In
anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits,
substantial amounts of phosphate income have been invested in trust
funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
economic future. The government has been borrowing heavily from the
trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has
called for a freeze on wages, a reduction of over-staffed public
service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies,
and closure of some overseas consulates. In recent years Nauru has
encouraged the registration of offshore banks and corporations. Tens
of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts.
Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with
estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)

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

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-3.6% (1993)

Labor force - by occupation:
employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education,
and transportation

Unemployment rate:
0%

Budget:
revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 95/96)

Industries:
phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
30 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
27.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts

Exports:
$27 million f.o.b. (1995)

Exports - commodities:
phosphates

Exports - partners:
India 46.1%, South Korea 18.3%, Australia 10.6%, New Zealand 7.8%,
Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

Imports:
$33 million c.i.f. (1995)

Imports - commodities:
food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners:
Australia 59.3%, US 10.1%, Ireland 7.6%, Malaysia 6% (2002)

Debt - external:
$33.3 million

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001),
1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Nauru

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
450 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone
communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

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

Radios:
7,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
500 (1997)

Internet country code:
.nr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Nauru

Railways:
total: 5 km
note: gauge unknown; used to haul phosphates from the center of the
island to processing facilities on the southwest coast (2001)

Highways:
total: 30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Nauru

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
1 (2002)

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

Military Nauru

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,190 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,762 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Military - note:
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement,
defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues Nauru

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
broad-based money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Navassa Island

Introduction Navassa Island

Background:
This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its
guano, and mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse,
built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa
Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the Department of the
Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as
a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the following year it
became a National Wildlife Refuge.

Geography Navassa Island

Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, about one-fourth of the way
from Haiti to Jamaica

Geographic coordinates:
18 25 N, 75 02 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 5.2 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
8 km

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

Climate:
marine, tropical

Terrain:
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by
vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

Natural resources:
guano

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

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat
herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus

People Navassa Island

Population:
uninhabited
note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
(July 2003 est.)

Government Navassa Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Navassa Island

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior;
in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance
of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern
side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced
against the island

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Navassa Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Navassa Island

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Navassa Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Navassa Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Haiti

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Nepal

Introduction Nepal

Background:
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule
by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of
government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy
within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist
insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening
to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown Prince massacred ten
members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then
took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime
minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the
parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of
the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed by the king and
his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a cease-fire with the
Maoist insurgents, until elections can be held at some unspecified
future date.

Geography Nepal

Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 84 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
land: 136,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arkansas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical
summers and mild winters in south

Terrain:
Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)

Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of
lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 20.27%
permanent crops: 0.49%
other: 79.24% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
11,350 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine
depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer
monsoons

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives);
contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural
runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular
emissions

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains
eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the
world's tallest - on the border with China

People Nepal

Population:
26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,424,396; female 5,080,171)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,692,134; female 7,320,059)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 468,697; female 484,112) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.26% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
9.84 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: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 70.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 68.95 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59 years
male: 59.36 years
female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
58,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa,
Tharu, and others (1995)

Religions:
Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)

Languages:
Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen
other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in
government and business also speak English (1995)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45.2%
male: 62.7%
female: 27.6% (2003 est.)

Government Nepal

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal

Government type:
parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Kathmandu

Administrative divisions:
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri,
Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali,
Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Independence:
1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

National holiday:
Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)

Constitution:
9 November 1990

Legal system:
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the
throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA
Bir Bikram Shah)
head of government: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June
2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at
the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most
of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is
believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally
wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while
still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three
days later and was succeeded by his uncle

Legislative branch:

: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002 election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1 elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by
the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the
other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of
the Judicial Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav
Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP
(also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA,
chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra
Bahadur, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri
Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants
Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali
Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil
KOIRALA, general secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani
POKHAREL, general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL also known as
Prahanda, chairman; and chief negotiator, Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI,
from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist]; numerous small, left-leaning
student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups

International organization participation:
AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTSO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Jai Pratap RANA
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI
embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179
FAX: [977] (1) 419963

Flag description:
red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping
right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized
moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

Economy Nepal

Economy - overview:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the
world with 42% of its population living below the poverty line.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood
for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP.
Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural
produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Textile and
carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange
earnings in recent years, contracted in 2001-02 due to the overall
slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on
factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of the
Maoist conflict and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the
US have led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign
exchange. Since 1991, the government has been moving forward with
economic reforms, e.g., by reducing business licenses and
registration requirements to simplify investment procedures,
reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off
civil servants. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its
potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign
investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in
other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size
of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its
landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural
disaster. The international community's role of funding more than
60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total
budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of
growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
42% (1995-96)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.7 (FY 95/96)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
10 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%

Unemployment rate:
47% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $665 million
expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 99/00 est.)

Industries:
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed
mills; cigarette; cement and brick production

Industrial production growth rate:
8.7% (FY 99/00)

Electricity - production:
1.755 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 8.5%
hydro: 91.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
1.764 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
95 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
227 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

Exports:
$720 million f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade
with India (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain

Exports - partners:
India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)

Imports:
$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer

Imports - partners:
India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%,
Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$2.55 billion (FY 00/01)

Economic aid - recipient:
$424 million (FY 00/01)

Currency:
Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Currency code:
NPR

Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09
(2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)

Fiscal year:
16 July - 15 July

Communications Nepal

Telephones - main lines in use:
236,816 (January 2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone
network
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to
India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)

Radios:
840,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
130,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.np

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
60,000 (2002)

Transportation Nepal

Railways:
total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 13,223 km
paved: 4,073 km
unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
45 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 28 (2002)

Military Nepal

Military branches:
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service),
Nepalese Police Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,674,014 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,467,511 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 303,222 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$57.22 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.1% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Nepal

Disputes - international:
joint border commission continues to work on small disputed
sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter
border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international
drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the
West

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Netherlands

Introduction Netherlands

Background:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium
seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained
neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by
Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the
Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The
country was a founding member of NATO and the EC (now the EU), and
participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union
(EMU) in 1999.

Geography Netherlands

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Geographic coordinates:
52 30 N, 5 45 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 41,526 sq km
water: 7,643 sq km
land: 33,883 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Coastline:
451 km

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

Climate:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in
southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 26.53%
other: 72.44% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 1.03%

Irrigated land:
5,650 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding

Environment - current issues:
water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and
nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from
vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography - note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or
Meuse, and Schelde)

People Netherlands

Population:
16,150,511 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.2% (male 1,501,127; female 1,436,453)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 5,576,141; female 5,389,764)
65 years and over: 13.9% (male 929,087; female 1,317,939) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.6 years
male: 37.7 years
female: 39.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.5% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.74 years
male: 75.85 years
female: 81.76 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
17,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
110 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective: Dutch

Ethnic groups:
Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-western origin mainly
Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%,
unaffiliated 40% (1998)

Languages:
Dutch (official language), Frisian (official language)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (2000 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Netherlands

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands
local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
local short form: Nederland

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe,
Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant,
Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland

Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Independence:
1579 (from Spain); note - the northern provinces of the Low Country
concluded the Union of Utrecht, but it was 1648 before Spain finally
recognized their independence

National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession
to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

Constitution:
adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983

Legal system:
civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution
does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May
2003) and Thom DE GRAAF (since 27 May 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second
Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the prime
minister on legislative and administrative policy

Legislative branch:
bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First
Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the
country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second
Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held NA
May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 January 2003 (next to be
held NA January 2007)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist
Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party -
CDA 28.6%, PvdA 27.3%, VVD 12.9%, Socialist Party 6.3%, List Pim
Fortuyn 5.7%, Green Party 5.1%, D66 4.1%; seats by party - CDA 44,
PvdA 42, VVD 28, Socialist Party 9, List Pim Fortuyn 8, Green Party
8, D66 6, other 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Maxime Jacques Marcel
VERHAGEN]; Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or
D66 [Boris DITTRICH]; Green Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or
PvdA [Wouter BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Mat HERBEN]; People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Gerrit ZALM]; Socialist
Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; a host of minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising
Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union;
Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations;
Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the
nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises

International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Boudewijn J. VAN EENENNAAM
consulate(s): Boston
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
telephone: [31] (70) 310-9209
FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar
to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with William I,
Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century

Economy Netherlands

Economy - overview:
The Netherlands is a prosperous and open economy depending heavily
on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial
relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current
account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation
hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing,
chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly
mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor
force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry
and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners,
began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country
continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting
foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in
2001-03, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four
years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the
EU average. The government is wrestling with a deteriorating budget
position, and is moving toward the EU 3% limit.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $437.8 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 25.7%
services: 71.2% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.1% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.6 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
7.2 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 73%, industry 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
3% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $134 billion
expenditures: $134 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction,
microelectronics, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
0% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
88.32 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 89.9%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 5.7% (2001)
nuclear: 4.3%

Electricity - consumption:
99.42 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
4.209 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
21.49 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
46,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
895,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.418 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
2.284 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
88.06 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Exports:
$243.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Germany 25.1%, Belgium 12.7%, UK 10.7%, France 10.2%, Italy 6%, US
4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$201.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs,
clothing

Imports - partners:
Germany 17.8%, Belgium 9.7%, US 9.1%, UK 6.9%, France 5.5%, China
5.1%, Japan 4% (2002)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.)

Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Netherlands

Telephones - main lines in use:
9,132,400 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,081,891 (April 1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: the existing system of multi-conductor cables is gradually
being replaced by fiber-optic cables; the density of cellular
telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further modernization of
the system is expected in 2001, with the introduction of the third
generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 58, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:
15.3 million (1996)

Television broadcast stations:
21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
8.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.nl

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
52 (2000)

Internet users:
9.73 million (2002)

Transportation Netherlands

Railways:
total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 116,500 km
paved: 104,850 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)
unpaved: 11,650 km (1999)

Waterways:
5,046 km (of which 3,745 km are canals)
note: 47% of total route length is usable by craft of
1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger

Pipelines:
condensate 325 km; gas 6,998 km; oil 590 km; refined products 716
km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem,
IJmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Vlissingen

Merchant marine:
total: 616 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,664,711 GRT/5,226,912 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belgium 1, Canada 1, Denmark 5, Finland 5, Germany 55,
Ireland 12, Norway 12, Sweden 17, UK 33, US 12 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 371, chemical tanker 51, container 70,
liquefied gas 13, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large-load
carrier 15, passenger 10, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo
34, roll on/roll off 16, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 6

Airports:
28 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Netherlands

Military branches:
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air
Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal
Constabulary

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (note - age 17 for cadets and midshipmen) (2003
est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,071,891 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,536,586 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 94,034
note: Netherlands has an all-volunteer, 74,100 force in 2001 (2003
est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$6.5 billion (FY00/01 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY00/01 est.)

Transnational Issues Netherlands

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
major European producer of illicit amphetamine and other synthetic
drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering
Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector
vulnerable to money laundering

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Netherlands Antilles

Introduction Netherlands Antilles

Background:
Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao
was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity
(and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th
century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly
discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is
shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and
is part of Guadeloupe, and its southern portion is named Sint
Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles.

Geography Netherlands Antilles

Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes
Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the
Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates:
12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 960 sq km
note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint
Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
water: 0 sq km
land: 960 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km

Coastline:
364 km

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

Climate:
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain:
generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural resources:
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are
rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are
subject to hurricanes from July to October

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided
geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint
Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern)
group (Bonaire and Curacao)

People Netherlands Antilles

Population:
216,226 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 27,383; female 26,122)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 69,233; female 75,956)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 7,244; female 10,288) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.8 years
male: 30.3 years
female: 33.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.9% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.41 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: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.38 years
male: 73.16 years
female: 77.7 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.04 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: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean

Ethnic groups:
mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages:
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.7%
female: 96.8% (2003 est.)

Government Netherlands Antilles

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
local long form: none
former: Curacao and Dependencies
local short form: Nederlandse Antillen

Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal
affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense
and foreign affairs

Government type:
parliamentary

Capital:
Willemstad

Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government

Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession
to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

Constitution:
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as
amended

Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law
influence

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1
July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Mirna LOUISA-GODETT (since 11
August 2003)
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister
by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held
by NA 2006)
note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten

Legislative branch:
unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
FOL 5, PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP-St.M 2, UPB 2, DP 1, MAN 1, PDB 1,
WIPM 1
note: the government of Prime Minister Mirna LOUISA-GODETT is a
coalition of several parties; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3,
FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB 2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4
elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)

Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; C 93
[Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM];
Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic
Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic
Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS];
Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric
LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA];
National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New
Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of
Bonaire or UPB [Ramon BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or
SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard Hodi]; Pro
Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor
Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St.
Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative
People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS
[Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will
JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald
LAK, Editha WRIGHT]
note: political parties are indigenous to each island

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO
(associate), WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
FAX: [599] (9) 4616489

Flag description:
white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on
a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars
are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the
five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao,
Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

Economy Netherlands Antilles

Economy - overview:
Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays
of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world.
Although GDP has declined or remained even in each of the past six
years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a
well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the
region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US
and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate
water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15%
services: 84% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
89,000

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
15% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $710.8 million
expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)

Industries:
tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining
(Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire),
light manufacturing (Curacao)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.061 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
986.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
72,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Exports:
$553 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum products

Exports - partners:
US 20.9%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 10.5%, Guyana 6.6%, Singapore
4.4%, Cuba 4% (2002)

Imports:
$1.43 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Imports - partners:
Venezuela 60.8%, Mexico 11.7%, US 9.7% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1.35 billion (1996)

Economic aid - recipient:
IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its
support with $40 million

Currency:
Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)

Currency code:
ANG

Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79
(2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999), 1.79 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Netherlands Antilles

Telephones - main lines in use:
76,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
13,977 (1996)

Telephone system:
general assessment: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
217,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received
from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels)
(1997)

Televisions:
69,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.an

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6

Internet users:
2,000 (2000)

Transportation Netherlands Antilles

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 600 km
paved: 300 km
unpaved: 300 km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Merchant marine:
total: 147 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,122,189 GRT/1,398,649 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 56, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
1, combination ore/oil 3, container 27, liquefied gas 5,
multi-functional large-load carrier 15, passenger 1, refrigerated
cargo 27, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 1
note: includes foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belgium 3, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Monaco 8, Netherlands
52, New Zealand 1, Norway 3, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 3, UK 5 (2002
est.)

Airports:
5 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2038 to 3047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Netherlands Antilles

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy,
Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police
Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 55,155 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 30,840 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,643 (2003 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Transnational Issues Netherlands Antilles

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and
Europe; money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@New Caledonia

Introduction New Caledonia

Background:
Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the
19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It
served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for
independence during the 1980s and early 1990s seems to have
dissipated.

Geography New Caledonia

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Geographic coordinates:
21 30 S, 165 30 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 19,060 sq km
water: 485 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
2,254 km

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

Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Terrain:
coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources:
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use:
arable land: 0.38%
permanent crops: 0.33%
other: 99.29% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
160 sq km (1991)

Natural hazards:
cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Environment - current issues:
erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Geography - note:
consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in
the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous
small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

People New Caledonia

Population:
210,798 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.7% (male 31,990; female 30,695)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 68,093; female 67,205)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 6,016; female 6,799) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.9 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 27.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.38% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
5.63 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 8.76 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.52 years
male: 70.57 years
female: 76.62 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.39 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: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%,
Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

Languages:
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91%
male: 92%
female: 90% (1976 est.)

Government New Caledonia

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form: New Caledonia
local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances

Dependency status:
overseas territory of France since 1956

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Noumea

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud

Independence:
none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on
independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is
scheduled for 2014

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the
islands; formerly under French law