Chapter XLIV: Front Matter (44)

Pipelines:
gas 565 km; oil 135 km; refined products 100 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras Island, Iligan,
Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Manila, Masao, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando,
Subic Bay, Zamboanga

Merchant marine:
total: 393 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,664,718 GRT/6,699,666 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 2, Canada 1, Germany 3, Greece 8, Hong Kong
13, Japan 47, Malaysia 19, Netherlands 14, Norway 8, Panama 3,
Singapore 12, South Korea 1, Taiwan 2, UK 7 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 111, cargo 105, chemical tanker 4, combination
bulk 8, container 8, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 9, passenger
5, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 42, refrigerated cargo 21,
roll on/roll off 16, short-sea passenger 27, specialized tanker 2,
vehicle carrier 18

Airports:
257 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 82
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 13 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 175
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 71
under 914 m: 99 (2002)

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Philippines

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air Force,
paramilitary units

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 21,923,324 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 15,428,043 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 846,994 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$995 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Philippines

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute over Spratly Islands with China,
Malaysia, 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"; Sultanate of Sulu granted
Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue its sovereignty
claim over Malaysia's Sabah State but Malaysia rejects claim

Illicit drugs:
exports locally-produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the
US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for heroin
and crystal methamphetamine

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Pitcairn Islands

Introduction Pitcairn Islands

Background:
Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled
in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in
1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South
Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the
population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.

Geography Pitcairn Islands

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between
Peru and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
25 04 S, 130 06 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 47 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
51 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate:
tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy
season (November to March)

Terrain:
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m

Natural resources:
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
discovered offshore

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

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons (especially November to March)

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains
because of burning and clearing for settlement)

Geography - note:
Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of
Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies
must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed
offshore

People Pitcairn Islands

Population:
47 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate:
NA%

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
NA (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA 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: Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective: Pitcairn Islander

Ethnic groups:
descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

Religions:
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Languages:
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English
dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Literacy:
NA

Government Pitcairn Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Adamstown

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution:
1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further
refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Legal system:
local island by-laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor
(nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Richard FELL (since NA
December 2001); Commissioner (nonresident) Leon SALT (since NA);
serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council
election results: Steve CHRISTIAN elected mayor; percent of vote -
NA%
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner and
commissioner appointed by the monarch; island magistrate elected by
popular vote for a three-year term; election last held NA December
1999 (next to be held NA December 2002)
head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Steve
CHRISTIAN (since 7 December 1999)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 6 elected by popular vote, 1
appointed by the 6 elected members, 2 appointed by the governor, and
1 seat for the Island Secretary; members serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December
2003)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:
Island Court (island magistrate presides over the court and is
elected every three years)

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
SPC

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

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

Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the
flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a
shield featuring a yellow anchor

Economy Pitcairn Islands

Economy - overview:
The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist on fishing,
subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps. The fertile
soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams,
and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major
sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and
the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $NA

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

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Labor force:
12 able-bodied men (1997)

Labor force - by occupation:
no business community in the usual sense; some public works;
subsistence farming and fishing

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $729,884
expenditures: $878,119, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY
94/95 est.)

Industries:
postage stamps, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered
generator

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Agriculture - products:
wide variety of fruits and vegetables, goats, chickens

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps

Exports - partners:
NA (2000)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other
foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
NA (2000)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code:
NZD

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.162 (2002), 2.3776 (2001),
2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5083 (1997)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Pitcairn Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line) (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: only party line telephone service is available
for this small, closely related community
domestic: party line service only
international: radiotelephone

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.pn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Pitcairn Islands

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 6.4 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 6.4 km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
none (2002)

Military Pitcairn Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Pitcairn Islands

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Poland

Introduction Poland

Background:
Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of
the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century.
During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and
internal disorders weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772
between Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland. Poland
regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and
the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state
following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and
progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the
independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a
political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and
the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s
enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most
robust in Central Europe, but Poland currently suffers low GDP
growth and high unemployment. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in
the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single
deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the
Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade
Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and is scheduled
to accede to the European Union along with nine other states on 1
May 2004.

Geography Poland

Location:
Central Europe, east of Germany

Geographic coordinates:
52 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 312,685 sq km
water: 8,220 sq km
land: 304,465 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 2,788 km
border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456
km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia
444 km, Ukraine 526 km

Coastline:
491 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with
frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
thundershowers

Terrain:
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber,
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 45.81%
permanent crops: 1.23%
other: 52.96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding

Environment - current issues:
situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry
and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments;
air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide
emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain
has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and
municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous
wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial
establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but
at substantial cost to business and the government

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the
lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

People Poland

Population:
38,622,660 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 3,458,844; female 3,284,995)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 13,407,012; female 13,547,728)
65 years and over: 12.7% (male 1,879,445; female 3,044,636) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 36 years
male: 34.1 years
female: 38 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 10.04 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.91 years
male: 69.77 years
female: 78.28 years (2003 est.)

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

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

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

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

Nationality:
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish

Ethnic groups:
Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990
est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox,
Protestant, and other 5%

Languages:
Polish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Government Poland

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local short form: Polska
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Warsaw

Administrative divisions:
16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie,
Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie,
Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie,
Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie,
Zachodniopomorskie

Independence:
11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Constitution:
16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997;
passed by national referendum 23 May 1997

Legal system:
mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover
Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part
of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of
legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are
final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of
Justice in Strasbourg

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December
1995)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005);
prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
and confirmed by the Sejm
head of government: Prime Minister Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19
October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers Marek POL (since 19 October
2001), Jerzy HAUSNER (since 11 June 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and
the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and
the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president;
percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzej
OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of
the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of
proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate
or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a
provincial basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Sejm elections last held 23 September 2001 (next to be
held by September 2005); Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next
to be held by September 2005)
election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO
12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW
3.1%, other 1%; seats by party (as of 25 April 2003) - SLD 193, PO
57, Samoobrona 39, PiS 43, PSL 39, LPR 28, UP 16, SKL 8, PLD 6, PBL
5, RKN 5, PP 3, ROP 3, German minorities 2, independents 13; note -
SLD and UP ran together on electoral lists in the 2001 elections,
but constitute separate parliamentary clubs in the Sejm; several
other deputies have left their parties and set up other
parliamentary factions; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36
parties) 15, PSL 4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2
note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an
indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by
the Sejm for nine-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Citizens
Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL-RNP
[Artur BALAZS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Leszek MILLER];
Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority of Lower
Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw
KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI];
Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI];
Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord
or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Bloc or PBL [Wojciech
MOJZESOWICZ]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI];
Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof
PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Maciej
MANICKI]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity
Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE,
CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest),
NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6270
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw P1
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,
5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
FAX: [48] (22) 504-2951
consulate(s) general: Krakow

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the
flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Economy Poland

Economy - overview:
Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization
throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among
transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done. The
privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a
liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development
of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles
alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further
development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by
structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and
lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive
sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently
initiated, have stalled due to a lack of political will on the part
of the government. Structural reforms in health care, education, the
pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger
than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance
depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector,
the reduction of state employment, and an overhaul of the tax code
to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers most of whom pay
no tax. The government's determination to enter the EU has shaped
most aspects of its economic policy and new legislation; in June
2003, 77% of the voters approved membership, now scheduled for May
2004. Improving Poland's export competitiveness and containing the
internal budget deficit are top priorities. Due to political
uncertainty, the zloty has recently depreciated in relation to the
euro and the dollar while currencies of the other euro-zone
aspirants have been appreciating. GDP per capita equals that of the
3 Baltic states.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $373.2 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 35%
services: 61.2% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
18.4% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.6 (1998)

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

Labor force:
17.6 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
18.1% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $49.6 billion
expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999)

Industries:
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
0.3% (2001)

Electricity - production:
135 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.1%
hydro: 1.5%
other: 0.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
118.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
11.04 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.306 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
17,180 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
424,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
53,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
413,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
116.4 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork

Exports:
$32.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured
goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live
animals 8.5% (1999)

Exports - partners:
Germany 33%, Italy 5.7%, France 5%, UK 4.8%, Czech Republic 4.3%
(2002)

Imports:
$43.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured
goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5%
(1999)

Imports - partners:
Germany 29.9%, Italy 8.1%, Russia 7.4%, France 7.2%, Netherlands
5.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$64 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
EU structural adjustment funds

Currency:
zloty (PLN)

Currency code:
PLN

Exchange rates:
zlotych per US dollar - 3.99 (2002), 4.09 (2001), 4.35 (2000), 3.97
(1999), 3.48 (1998)
note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Poland

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
13 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system in the
process of being overhauled; partial privatization of the
state-owned telephone monopoly is underway; the long waiting list
for main line telephone service has resulted in a boom in mobile
cellular telephone use
domestic: cable, open-wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular
networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
20.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions:
13.05 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.pl

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
19 (2000)

Internet users:
6.4 million (2001)

Transportation Poland

Railways:
total: 23,420 km
broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m,
0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2002)

Highways:
total: 364,656 km
paved: 249,060 km (including 358 km of expressways)
unpaved: 115,596 km (2000)

Waterways:
3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996)

Pipelines:
gas 12,901 km; oil 737 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka,
Warsaw, Wroclaw

Merchant marine:
total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 199,186 GRT/275,476 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off
1, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
150 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 88
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 9 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 62
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 43 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 15

Heliports:
3 (2002)

Military Poland

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 10,354,978 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,077,706 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 343,500 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$3.5 billion (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.71% (2002)

Transnational Issues Poland

Disputes - international:
small boundary changes made with Slovakia in 2003

Illicit drugs:
major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market;
minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs
to Western Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Portugal

Introduction Portugal

Background:
Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th
centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the
destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the
Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony.
A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six
decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a
left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The
following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African
colonies. Portugal entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Geography Portugal

Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of
Spain

Geographic coordinates:
39 30 N, 8 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 92,391 sq km
land: 91,951 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
water: 440 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,214 km
border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Coastline:
1,793 km

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

Climate:
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in
south

Terrain:
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in
the Azores 2,351 m

Natural resources:
fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble,
arable land, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 20.57%
permanent crops: 7.74%
other: 71.69% (1999 est.)

Irrigated land:
6,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle
emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

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, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western
sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People Portugal

Population:
10,102,022 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 874,198; female 825,742)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 3,326,957; female 3,461,425)
65 years and over: 16% (male 651,697; female 962,003) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 37.6 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 39.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.17% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.35 years
male: 72.86 years
female: 80.07 years (2003 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
27,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,000 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent
who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than
100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Religions:
Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)

Languages:
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.3% (2003 est.)

Government Portugal

Country name:
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Lisbon

Administrative divisions:
18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous
regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro,
Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra,
Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto,
Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Independence:
1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)

National holiday:
Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)

Constitution:
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November
1992, and 3 September 1997

Legal system:
civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
body to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since
6 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA January
2006); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the president
election results: Jorge SAMPAIO reelected president; percent of vote
- Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral
(Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP
8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS
96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for
life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders:
The Greens or PEV [no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS];
Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS];
Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo Ferro RODRIGUES]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO]; United
Democratic Coalition or CDU [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The Left Bloc [no
leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence
(Rhode Island)
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San
Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description:
two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red
(three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the
dividing line

Economy Portugal

Economy - overview:
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based
economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past
decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled
firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the
financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for
the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the
euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies.
Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past
decade, but fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of
that of the leading EU economies. A poor educational system, in
particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth.
Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers
in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct
investment. The coalition government faces tough choices in its
attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep
the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $195.2 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 28.7%
services: 67.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.6 (1994-95)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
5.1 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $45 billion
expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking;
oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
44.32 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 64.5%
hydro: 31.3%
other: 4.1% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
41.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3.479 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
3.743 billion kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
339,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
28,830 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
357,300 bbl/day (2001)

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry,
beef, dairy products

Exports:
$25.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper
products, hides

Exports - partners:
Spain 20.3%, Germany 18.4%, France 12.6%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy
4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2002)

Imports:
$39 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles,
agricultural products

Imports - partners:
Spain 28.1%, Germany 15%, France 10.2%, Italy 6.5%, UK 5.2%,
Netherlands 4.5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$13.1 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $271 million (1995)

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 Portugal

Telephones - main lines in use:
5.3 million (yearend 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,074,194 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid development in recent years,
Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998, achieved a
state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and
a main line telephone density of 53%
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave
radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
3.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
62 (plus 166 repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)

Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.pt

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
4.4 million (2002)

Transportation Portugal

Railways:
total: 2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 68,732 km
paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,622 km (2000)

Waterways:
820 km
note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by
shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity

Pipelines:
gas 482 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon,
Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal,
Viana do Castelo

Merchant marine:
total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 993,325 GRT/1,533,255 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 62, chemical tanker 18, container 7,
liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 4,
petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5,
short-sea passenger 3, vehicle carrier 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark
6, Germany 20, Greece 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1,
Monaco 2, Norway 5, Panama 5, Spain 22, Switzerland 8, UK 1, Virgin
Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
66 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 40
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 25 (2002)

Military Portugal

Military branches:
Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard
(includes Fiscal Guard)

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,520,852 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,017,678 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 67,816 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.286 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.2% (FY99/00)

Transnational Issues Portugal

Disputes - international:
Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around
the town of Olivenza, Spain

Illicit drugs:
gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian
heroin entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish
from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Puerto Rico

Introduction Puerto Rico

Background:
Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was
claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second
voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule
that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African
slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result
of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US
citizenship in 1917 and popularly elected governors have served
since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for
internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and
1998 voters chose to retain commonwealth status.

Geography Puerto Rico

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 9,104 sq km
water: 145 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
501 km

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

Climate:
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains
precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal
areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

Natural resources:
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use:
arable land: 3.72%
permanent crops: 5.07%
other: 91.21% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
400 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Geography - note:
important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to
the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural
harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central
mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry;
fertile coastal plain belt in north

People Puerto Rico

Population:
3,885,877 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.9% (male 454,908; female 434,555)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 1,212,764; female 1,322,356)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 200,669; female 260,625) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.3 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 34.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.58% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.54 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: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.26 years
male: 73.27 years
female: 81.44 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,397 (1997)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican

Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%,
Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Languages:
Spanish, English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8%
male: 93.7%
female: 94% (2001)

Government Puerto Rico

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Dependency status:
commonwealth associated with the US

Government type:
commonwealth

Capital:
San Juan

Administrative divisions:
none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular -
municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas
Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta,
Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas,
Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio,
Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama,
Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao,
Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las
Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca,
Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce,
Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San
German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa
Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja,
Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Independence:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)

National holiday:
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day,
25 July (1952)

Constitution:
ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952;
effective 25 July 1952

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of
justice

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens
but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PPD) elected governor; percent
of vote - 48.6%
note: residents of Puerto Rico do not vote for US president and vice
president
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held
2 November 2004)
head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON (since 2 January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
legislature

Legislative branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (28 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PPD 19, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results -
percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal
ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2
November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held 2 November 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of
two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for
all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the
Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican
Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
(pro-US statehood) [Carlos PESQUERA]; Popular Democratic Party or
PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Sila M. CALDERON]; Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of
Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the
Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU,
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WToO
(associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating
with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears
a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially
influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the
colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Economy Puerto Rico

Economy - overview:
Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean
region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as
the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by
duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have
invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage
laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and
other livestock products as the main source of income in the
agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important
source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million
tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-02, largely due to the
slowdown in the US economy.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $43.01 billion (2002 est.)

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

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
1.3 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 99/00)

Industries:
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
20.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.2%
hydro: 0.8%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
19.44 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
190,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock
products, chickens

Exports:
$46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
concentrates, medical equipment

Exports - partners:
US 88.2%, UK 1.5%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2001)

Imports:
$29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum
products

Imports - partners:
US 53.5%, Ireland 16.3%, Japan 4.5% (2001)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Puerto Rico

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.322 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
169,265 (1996)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with that of the US
by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data
capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable
to US

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
2.7 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television
Service) (1997)

Televisions:
1.021 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.pr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
76 (2000)

Internet users:
600,000 (2002)

Transportation Puerto Rico

Railways:
total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 14,400 km
paved: 14,400 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Aguadilla, Arecibo, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama,
Mayaguez, Playa de Ponce, San Juan

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/20,904 DWT
ships by type: container 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
31 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Military Puerto Rico

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard,
Police Force

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Puerto Rico

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Qatar

Introduction Qatar

Background:
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed
itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling
into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas
revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy
was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by
the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by
his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless
coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border
disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas
revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the
leading industrial countries of Western Europe.

Geography Qatar

Location:
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
25 30 N, 51 15 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 11,437 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline:
563 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or
the median line
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Terrain:
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish

Land use:
arable land: 1.27%
permanent crops: 0.27%
other: 98.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
130 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on
large-scale desalination facilities

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

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum
deposits

People Qatar

Population:
817,052 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 102,938; female 98,934)
15-64 years: 72.4% (male 415,302; female 176,183)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,199; female 6,496) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.2 years
male: 36.4 years
female: 21.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.87% (2003 est.)

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

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

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