Chapter XXVI: Front Matter (26)

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Saint Peter Port

Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale,
Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint
Martin, Saint Andrew

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen.
Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000)
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of
vote of the States of Deliberation NA
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation

Legislative branch:
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by
popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own
parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:
Royal Court

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UPU

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

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

Flag description:
white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of
William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Economy Guernsey

Economy - overview:
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. -
account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island
economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes
and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties
make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration
of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey
operates.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.7% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
31,320 (2000)

Unemployment rate:
0.5% (1999 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit;
Guernsey cattle

Industries:
tourism, banking

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other
vegetables

Exports - partners:
UK (regarded as internal trade)

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
UK (regarded as internal trade)

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

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

Currency code:
GBP

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

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guernsey

Telephones - main lines in use:
55,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
31,500 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.gg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Guernsey

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

Ports and harbors:
Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Guernsey

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Guernsey

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Guinea

Introduction Guinea

Background:
Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence
from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984, when the
military seized the government after the death of the first
president Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections
until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was
elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in
1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has
spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade,
threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies.

Geography Guinea

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 10 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 245,857 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 3,399 km
border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km,
Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Coastline:
320 km

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

Climate:
generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to
November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May)
with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain:
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

Land use:
arable land: 3.63%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 93.79% (2001)

Irrigated land:
950 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water;
desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing,
overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to
environmental damage

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

Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources
in the Guinean highlands

People Guinea

Population:
9,246,462 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,075,652; female 2,032,936)
15-64 years: 52.4% (male 2,417,440; female 2,428,085)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 127,654; female 164,695) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.7 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.37% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
42.26 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
15.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees
(2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 91.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 86.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 97.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.7 years
male: 48.45 years
female: 50.99 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups:
Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%

Religions:
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Languages:
French (official), each ethnic group has its own language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Government Guinea

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea
local short form: Guinee
former: French Guinea
local long form: Republique de Guinee

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Conakry

Administrative divisions:
33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla, Boffa,
Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah,
Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia,
Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola,
Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele,
Tougue, Yomou

Independence:
2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 October (1958)

Constitution:
23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Legal system:
based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal
codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military
government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Cellou Dalein DIALLO (since 9
December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected
president; election last held 21 December 2003 (next to be held NA
December 2008); the prime minister is appointed by the president
election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote
- Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6%

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%,
other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El
Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or
UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP
[Lansana CONTE] - the governing party; People's Party of Guinea or
PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha
CONDE]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Siradiou DIALLO];
Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE,
secretary-general]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY
FAX: [1] (202) 478-3010
telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry
mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry
telephone: [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23
FAX: [224] 41 15 22

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

Economy Guinea

Economy - overview:
Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural
resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country
possesses over 30% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the
second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for
about 75% of exports in 1999. Long-run improvements in government
fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if
the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra
Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have
caused major economic disruptions, including a loss in investor
confidence. Foreign mining companies have reduced expatriate staff,
while panic buying has created food shortages and inflation in local
markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid. The IMF and World
Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth should strengthen in
2004, however, because of a slowly improving security situation and
increased investor confidence.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $19.02 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24.9%
industry: 38.2%
services: 36.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 32% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.3 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $410.7 million
expenditures: $708.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
million (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas,
sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber

Industries:
bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and
agricultural processing industries

Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (1994)

Electricity - production:
790.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
735.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
8,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-252 million (2003)

Exports:
$726 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural
products

Exports - partners:
South Korea 14.8%, Spain 10.7%, US 10.1%, France 9.2%, Russia 9%,
Ireland 7.9%, Belgium 6.4%, Germany 5.6%, Ukraine 5.3% (2003)

Imports:
$646 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment,
textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
France 16.8%, China 9.3%, Belgium 7.1%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands
5.4%, UK 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.8%, US 4.5% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$191 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$3.25 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$359.2 million (1998)

Currency:
Guinean franc (GNF)

Currency code:
GNF

Exchange rates:
Guinean francs per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,975.84 (2002), 1,950.56
(2001), 1,746.87 (2000), 1,387.4 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use:
26,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
111,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small
radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay
system
domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication
international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave
3 (2001)

Radios:
357,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 low-power stations (2001)

Televisions:
85,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gn

Internet hosts:
380 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2001)

Internet users:
40,000 (2003)

Transportation Guinea

Railways:
total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 30,500 km
paved: 5,033 km
unpaved: 25,467 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,295 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,344 GRT/5,003 DWT
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: Iraq 1 (2003 est.)

Airports:
16 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Guinea

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard,
National Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,108,948 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,064,965 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$58.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues Guinea

Disputes - international:
domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups in Guinea, domestic
fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have created insurgencies, street
violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts skirmishes,
deaths, and refugees in border areas; in 2003, Guinea and Sierra
Leone established a boundary commission to resolve a dispute over
the town of Yenga

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 133,175 (Liberia), 13,633 (Sierra
Leone), 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire)
IDPs: 100,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Cote d'Ivoire) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Guinea-Bissau

Introduction Guinea-Bissau

Background:
Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has
experienced considerable upheaval. The founding government consisted
of a single party system and command economy. In 1980, a military
coup established Joao VIEIRA as president and a path to a market
economy and multiparty system was implemented. A number of coup
attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him and
in 1994 he was elected president in the country's first free
elections. A military coup attempt and civil war in 1998 eventually
led to VIERA's ouster in 1999. In February 2000, an interim
government turned over power when opposition leader Kumba YALA took
office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections.
YALA was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique
ROSA was sworn in as President. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to
democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in
the civil war.

Geography Guinea-Bissau

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea
and Senegal

Geographic coordinates:
12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 36,120 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km
land: 28,000 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline:
350 km

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

Climate:
tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season
(June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to
May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain:
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
country 300 m

Natural resources:
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use:
arable land: 10.67%
permanent crops: 8.82%
other: 80.51% (2001)

Irrigated land:
170 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season; brush fires

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying
further inland

People Guinea-Bissau

Population:
1,388,363 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 288,760; female 289,975)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 367,728; female 400,996)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,570; female 23,334) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 19.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.99% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
38.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
16.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 108.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 97.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 119.37 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.98 years
male: 45.09 years
female: 48.92 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
10% (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,200 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups:
African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%,
Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Languages:
Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.4%
male: 58.1%
female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

Government Guinea-Bissau

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea

Government type:
republic, multiparty since mid-1991

Capital:
Bissau

Administrative divisions:
9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau,
Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have
been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence:
24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10
September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution:
16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993,
9 June 1993, and 1996

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Henrique ROSA (interim; since 28
September 2003); note - a September 2003 coup overthrew the elected
government of Kumba YALA; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as
interim president from 14 to 28 September 2003
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 28 November 1999 and 16 January 2000 (next to be
held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president after
consultation with party leaders in the legislature
note: a bloodless coup led to the dissolution of the elected
government of Kumba YALA in September 2003; General Verissimo
Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 September 2003
until stepping aside on 28 September 2003 with the establishment of
a caretaker government
election results: Kumba YALA elected president; percent of vote,
second ballot - Kumba YALA (PRS) 72%, Malan Bacai SANHA (PAIGC) 28%
cabinet: NA
head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 9 May
2004)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional
Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a
maximum of four years); note - President YALA dissolved the National
People's Assembly in November 2002, elections for a new legislature
were scheduled to fall in February 2003 but were then postponed to
April, then July, then September, and were last scheduled to occur
in March 2004
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%,
PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2% ; seats by
party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine
justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his
pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases);
Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals
for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases
valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not
necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and
misdemeanor criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders:
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde
or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Front for the Liberation and
Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau
Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Helder Vaz LOPES]; Guinean
Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for
Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president];
National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE,
secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor
MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Union for
Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary
general]; United Platform or UP [coalition formed by PCD, FDS,
FLING, and RGB-MB]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD
[Francisco Jose FADUL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique
Adriano DA SILVA
chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 519, Washington, DC 20005
FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954
telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of
violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and
military-led junta; US embassy Dakar is responsible for covering
Guinea-Bissau: telephone - [221] 823-4296; FAX - [221] 822-5903

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a
vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed
star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors
of Ethiopia

Economy Guinea-Bissau

Economy - overview:
One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends
mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased
remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in
cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with
small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the
major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between
Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed
much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to
the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that
year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade
reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the
country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The
tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private
sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high
costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral
resources is not a near-term prospect. However, unexploited offshore
oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue in the long run. The
inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the
world. The government and international donors continue to work out
plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base.
Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in low
growth in 2002-03 and dim prospects for 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.063 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 62%
industry: 12%
services: 26% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
480,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 82% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA (1998)

Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm
kernels, cotton; timber; fish

Industries:
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate:
2.6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
55 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
51.15 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
2,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$54 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber

Exports - partners:
India 76.8%, Nigeria 12.1%, Italy 5.1% (2003)

Imports:
$104 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Senegal 18.1%, India 14.6%, Portugal 14.6%, China 9.7%, Italy 9%,
Spain 4.9% (2003)

Debt - external:
$941.5 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$115.4 million (1995)

Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States; previously
the Guinea-Bissau peso (GWP) was used

Currency code:
XOF; GWP

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699
(1999)
note: as of 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted the XOF franc as the
national currency; since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc is pegged to
the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guinea-Bissau

Telephones - main lines in use:
10,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,300 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications
international: country code - 245

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)

Radios:
49,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.gw

Internet hosts:
2 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)

Internet users:
19,000 (2003)

Transportation Guinea-Bissau

Highways:
total: 4,400 km
paved: 453 km
unpaved: 3,947 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
4 largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and
creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
28 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)

Military Guinea-Bissau

Military branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and
Air Force), paramilitary force

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 326,864 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 185,801 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$8.4 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues Guinea-Bissau

Disputes - international:
attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling,
and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's
Casamance region

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Guyana

Introduction Guyana

Background:
Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had
become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black
settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants
from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide
has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved
independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was
ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi
JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's
first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five
years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in
1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was
reelected in 2001.

Geography Guyana

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Suriname and Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 214,970 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Coastline:
459 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy
seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)

Terrain:
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.15%
other: 97.41% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial
chemicals; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and
Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories
are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

People Guyana

Population:
705,803
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.5% (male 95,431; female 91,806)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 243,224; female 239,047)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 16,000; female 20,295) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.2 years
male: 25.6 years
female: 26.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.61% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 37.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 41.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.43 years
male: 60.12 years
female: 64.84 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.06 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2003 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and
mixed 7%

Religions:
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

Government Guyana

Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana

Government type:
republic within the Commonwealth

Capital:
Georgetown

Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East
Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice,
Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper
Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Independence:
26 May 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Constitution:
6 October 1980

Legal system:
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999);
note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December
1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority party in the National
Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at
least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to
be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of
legislative vote - NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote,
1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members
appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and
Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana
Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader
NA]; People's National Congress or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando
CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO];
Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or
TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert
ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian
Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well
organized

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland BULLEN
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909
FAX: [592] 225-8497

Flag description:
green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black
border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border
between the yellow and the green

Economy Guyana

Economy - overview:
The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02,
based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more
favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic
exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of
international organizations. Growth then slowed in 2003. Chronic
problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient
infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt
against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite
mining sector should benefit in the near term by restructuring and
partial privatization.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.797 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 37.2%
industry: 22.7%
services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
38.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
418,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Unemployment rate:
9.1% (understated) (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $263.4 million
expenditures: $326.7 million, including capital expenditures of
$93.4 million (2003)

Agriculture - products:
sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy
products; fish (shrimp)

Industries:
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate:
7.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
852 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
792.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-158 million (2003)

Exports:
$512 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber

Exports - partners:
Canada 23.2%, US 21.8%, UK 13.5%, Portugal 6.7%, Belgium 6.5%,
Jamaica 6.1% (2003)

Imports:
$612 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners:
US 22.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.2%, Italy 11.2%, UK 7.2%, Cuba
5.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$257 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)
$253 million (1997) (2000 est.)

Currency:
Guyanese dollar (GYD)

Currency code:
GYD

Exchange rates:
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 190.665 (2002), 187.321
(2001), 182.43 (2000), 177.995 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guyana

Telephones - main lines in use:
80,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
87,300 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
420,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US
satellite services) (1997)

Televisions:
46,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gy

Internet hosts:
613 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
125,000 (2002)

Transportation Guyana

Railways:
total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,077 km
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by
oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,475 GRT/8,758 DWT
foreign-owned: Barbados 1, Panama 1
registered in other countries: 8 (2004 est.)
by type: cargo 3, container 1, refrigerated cargo 1

Airports:
49 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)

Military Guyana

Military branches:
Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps; Guyana
People's Militia

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 209,545 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 157,264 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$6.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues Guyana

Disputes - international:
all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by
Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana
has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims
before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with
Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of
land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute
over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS
arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over
the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich
waters

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily
Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Haiti

Introduction Haiti

Background:
The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of
Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were
virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the
early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and
sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the
Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves
and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th
century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint
L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black
republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued
by political violence for most of its history. It is the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere.

Geography Haiti

Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates:
19 00 N, 72 25 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km

Coastline:
1,771 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61%
other: 60.09% (2001)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is
being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion;
inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

People Haiti

Population:
7,656,166
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,646,216; female 1,583,294)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 2,018,914; female 2,124,287)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 133,241; female 150,214) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.1 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 18.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.71% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
33.76 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 74.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 79.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.78 years
male: 50.52 years
female: 53.12 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
280,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
24,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups:
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%,
Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo

Languages:
French (official), Creole (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Government Haiti

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti

Government type:
elected government

Capital:
Port-au-Prince

Administrative divisions:
9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite,
Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Independence:
1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Constitution:
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles
reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be
observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in
October 1994

Legal system:
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Interim President Boniface ALEXANDRE (since 29
February 2004)
note: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE resigned as president on 29 February
2004; ALEXANDRE, as Chief of the Supreme Court, constitutionally
succeeded Aristide
head of government: Interim Prime Minister Gerald LATORTUE (since 12
March 2004), chosen by extraconstitutional Council of Eminent
Persons representing cross-section of political and civic interests
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president
election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent
of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in November
2005); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the
National Assembly

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the
Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); note - the National Assembly stopped functioning
in January 2004 when the terms of all Deputies and two-thirds of
sitting Senators expired; no replacements have been elected; the
Prime Minister is currently ruling by decree
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1,
vacant 1, other minor parties and independents 3
elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000
with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; seven seats
still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November
2000 (next to be held in 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21
May 2000 with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one
vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held in November 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH
[Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or
RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID
[leader Evans PAUL]; Democratic Convergence (opposition coalition
composed of KID, KONAKOM, OPL, PANPRA, RNDP, MIDH, and MOCHRENA)
[Evans PAUL, Victor BENOIT, Edgard LEBLANC, Serge GILLES, Leslie
MANIGAT, Marc BAZIN, Luc MESADIEU]; Democratic Movement for the
Liberation of Haiti or MODELH [Francois LATORTUE]; Grand Center
Right Front coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de
RONCERAY, Jean BUTEAU, Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian
Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise
CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEMH [Clark PARENT]; Haitian
Democratic and Reform Movement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre
Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Lavalas Family or
FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Michael
MADSEN]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE
RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean
BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH
[Marc BAZIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRON
[Guy PHILIPPE and Winter ETIENNE]; National Progressive Democratic
Party or PNDPH [Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New
Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Popular Party for the Renewal of
Haiti, or Generation 2000 [Claude ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE];
Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of
Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Group of 184 Civil Society
Organization, or G-184 [Andy APAID]; National Popular Assembly or
APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE];
Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Raymond JOSEPH (as of November
2004)
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. FOLEY
embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0269, 222-0200, 222-0327
FAX: [509] 223-1641 or 222-0200 ext 460

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered
white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree
flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto
L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)

Economy Haiti

Economy - overview:
In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians
depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of
small-scale subsistence farming. Following legislative elections in
May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors -
including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The
economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001 and an estimated 0.9% in
2002. Suspended aid and loan disbursements totaled more than $500
million at the start of 2003. Haiti also suffers from rampant
inflation, a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. The
resumption of aid flows from all donors will alleviate but not end
the nation's bitter economic problems. Extensive civil strife in
early 2004, marked by the flight of President ARISTIDE, further
impoverished Haiti.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 20%
services: 50% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
80% (2003 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
37.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 66%, industry 9%, services 25%

Unemployment rate:
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds
of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $231.6 million
expenditures: $366.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, wood

Industries:
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly
industries based on imported parts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
580 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
539.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-48 million (2003)

Exports:
$321 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa

Exports - partners:
US 83.8%, Dominican Republic 6.5%, Canada 3.2% (2003)

Imports:
$1.028 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)