Chapter XXVIII: Front Matter (28)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6,862,800 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is
capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable
connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch
is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture
terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:
7.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
4.42 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.hu

Internet hosts:
383,071 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
1.6 million (2002)

Transportation Hungary

Railways:
total: 7,937 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 188,203 km
paved: 81,680 km (including 438 km of expressways)
unpaved: 106,523 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,568 GRT/10,025 DWT
by type: cargo 2
registered in other countries: 8 (2004 est.)

Airports:
43 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 11

Heliports:
5 (2003 est.)

Military Hungary

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air Forces

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,519,052 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,011,750 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 64,426 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.08 billion (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.75% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Hungary

Disputes - international:
Hungary amended the status law extending special social and
cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring states, who
had objected to the law; Slovakia and Hungary have renewed
discussions on ways to resolve differences over the
Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam on the Danube, with possible
resort again to the ICJ for final resolution

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for
South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer
of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and
methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money
laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Iceland

Introduction Iceland

Background:
Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants
during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the
world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing,
established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was
subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja
volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused
widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the
island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited
home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
are first-rate by world standards.

Geography Iceland

Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Geographic coordinates:
65 00 N, 18 00 W

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 103,000 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
4,988 km

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

Climate:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers

Terrain:
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast
deeply indented by bays and fiords

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Natural resources:
fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Land use:
arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater
treatment

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
Europe

People Iceland

Population:
293,966 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.5% (male 33,522; female 32,489)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 98,091; female 95,450)
65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,552; female 18,862) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.8 years
male: 33.3 years
female: 34.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.97% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.18 years
male: 78.18 years
female: 82.27 years (2004 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups:
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,
population of foreign origin 6%

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic
1.7%, other 7.1% (2002)

Languages:
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.9% (1997 est.)
male: NA
female: NA

Government Iceland

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local short form: Island
local long form: Lydhveldidh Island

Government type:
constitutional republic

Capital:
Reykjavik

Administrative divisions:
8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra,
Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence:
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown);
17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution:
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944

Legal system:
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15
September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched
positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by
Parliament
elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by
popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004
(next to be held June 2008); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the
vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party
33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%,
Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -
Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive
Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by
the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are
appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:
Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or
LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon
KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social
Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social
Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653
chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN
embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik
mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340
telephone: [354] 562-9100
FAX: [354] 562-9118

Flag description:
blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist
side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Iceland

Economy - overview:
Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet
with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing
subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of
income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for
abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the
fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs
12% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining
fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main
exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon.
Government policies include reducing the budget and current account
deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising
agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and
privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed
to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about
losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has
been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the
last decade, and new developments in software production,
biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism
sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and
whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at
3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of
global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and inflation dropped back
from 5% to 2%.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $8.678 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $30,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.2% (includes fishing 12%)
industry: 26.7%
services: 64.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.6% 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):
2.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
160,000 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing
12.9%, construction 10.7%, services 59.5% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
3.4% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.205 billion
expenditures: $4.405 billion, including capital expenditures of $467
million (2003)

Public debt:
41.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish

Industries:
fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production,
geothermal power; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
8.1% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
7.894 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
7.341 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
16,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
15,470 bbl/day (2001)

Current account balance:
$-574 million (2003)

Exports:
$2.379 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite,
ferrosilicon

Exports - partners:
Germany 17.4%, UK 17.4%, Netherlands 11.2%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.3%,
Denmark 5%, Norway 4.5%, France 4% (2003)

Imports:
$2.59 billion (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
Germany 11.8%, Denmark 8%, US 7.5%, UK 7.5%, Norway 7%, Sweden
6.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, Italy 4.7% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$818.7 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$2.6 billion (1999)

Economic aid - donor:
NA

Currency:
Icelandic krona (ISK)

Currency code:
ISK

Exchange rates:
Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 76.709 (2003), 91.6617 (2002),
97.4246 (2001), 78.6159 (2000), 72.3353 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Iceland

Telephones - main lines in use:
190,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
279,100 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: extensive domestic service
domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
cables and microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
260,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
98,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.is

Internet hosts:
122,175 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
20 (2001)

Internet users:
195,000 (2003)

Transportation Iceland

Highways:
total: 12,955 km
paved/oiled gravel: 3,863 km
unpaved: 9,092 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn,
Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT
registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)
by type: petroleum tanker 1

Airports:
100 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 93
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)

Military Iceland

Military branches:
no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 75,568 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 66,503 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
0

Military - note:
defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF)
headquartered at Keflavik

Transnational Issues Iceland

Disputes - international:
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and
the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the
Rockall area) remains dormant; dispute with Denmark over the Faroe
Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 nm; disputes with
Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental
shelf boundary outside 200 nm

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@India

Introduction India

Background:
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,
dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest
invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier inhabitants
created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in
the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by European
traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century,
Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands.
Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both
World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under
Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947.
The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the
smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two
countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate
nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the
ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation,
environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and
religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic
investment and output.

Geography India

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Burma and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 77 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463
km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline:
7,000 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along
the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources:
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,
mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
petroleum, limestone, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 54.4%
permanent crops: 2.74%
other: 42.86% (2001)

Irrigated land:
590,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive
flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air
pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap
water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing
population is overstraining natural resources

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

Geography - note:
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean
trade routes

People India

Population:
1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.7% (male 173,869,856; female 164,003,915)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 349,785,804; female 326,289,402)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 25,885,725; female 25,235,905) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 24.4 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 24.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.44% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 58.52 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.99 years
male: 63.25 years
female: 64.77 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian

Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

Religions:
Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups
including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)

Languages:
English enjoys associate status but is the most important language
for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the
national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are
14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,
Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri,
Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu
spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official
language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.5%
male: 70.2%
female: 48.3% (2003 est.)

Government India

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
New Delhi

Administrative divisions:
28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,
Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa,
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal

Independence:
15 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

Constitution:
26 January 1950

Legal system:
based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002); Vice
President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
the states for a five-year term; election last held NA July 2002
(next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12
August 2002 (next to be held NA August 2007); prime minister chosen
by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative
elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held NA
2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since NA May 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice
president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or
Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to
12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen
by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;
members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the
president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May
2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 21, BSP 19,
DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5,
TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in
office until they reach the age of 65)

Political parties and leaders:
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha
JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [D. BISWAS, general
secretary]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj
Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Venkaiah
NAIDU]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of
India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of
India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Dipankar BHATTACHARYA]; Congress
(I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a
regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National
Congress or INC [leader NA]; Indian National League [Suliaman
SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United)
or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA];
Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or
LSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK
[VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party
or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA];
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary
Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam
Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or
SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana
Rashtra Samithi or TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP
[Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater
communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties
Hurriyat Conference

International organization participation:
AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CERN (observer),
CP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW,
PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD
embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
(Bombay)

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),
white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
orange disk centered in the white band

Economy India

Economy - overview:
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern
agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a
multitude of support services. Government controls have been reduced
on foreign trade and investment, and privatization of domestic
output has proceeded slowly. The economy has posted an excellent
average growth rate of 6% since 1990, reducing poverty by about 10
percentage points. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of
well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a
major exporter of software services and software workers. Despite
strong growth, the World Bank and others worry about the continuing
public-sector budget deficit, running at approximately 60% of GDP.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.033 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.6%
industry: 28.4%
services: 48% (2002 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.1% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.8 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
472 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 60%, industry 17%, services 23% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $86.69 billion
expenditures: $114.6 billion, including capital expenditures of
$13.5 billion (2003)

Public debt:
59.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation
equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
533.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
497.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
321 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.54 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
732,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
4.33 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
542.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$3.41 billion (2003)

Exports:
$57.24 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,
leather manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 20.6%, China 6.4%, UK 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.8%, Germany 4.4% (2003)

Imports:
$74.15 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners:
US 6.4%, Belgium 5.6%, UK 4.8%, China 4.3%, Singapore 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$102.3 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$101.7 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.9 billion (FY98/99)

Currency:
Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:
INR

Exchange rates:
Indian rupees per US dollar - 46.5806 (2003), 48.6103 (2002),
47.1864 (2001), 44.9416 (2000), 43.0554 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications India

Telephones - main lines in use:
48.917 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
26,154,400 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of
telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;
local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
of private and private-public investors, but telephone density
remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only
one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of
over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest
growth in fixed lines
domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in
rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic
reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile
cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and
organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom
circles each with about three private service providers and one
state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk
capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the
world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National
Satellite system (INSAT), with 5 satellites supporting 33,000 very
small aperture terminals (VSAT)
international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine
gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata
(Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,
Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3
with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South
Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking
to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai
(Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),
provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both
voice and data traffic (2004)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios:
116 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480
stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions:
63 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.in

Internet hosts:
86,871 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
43 (2000)

Internet users:
18.481 million (2003)

Transportation India

Railways:
total: 63,140 km (15,994 km electrified)
broad gauge: 45,099 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 14,776 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,265 km 0.762-m gauge and
0.610-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 3,319,644 km
paved: 1,517,077 km
unpaved: 1,802,567 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
14,500 km
note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
mechanized vessels (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 6,171 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined
products 5,567 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata
(Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine:
total: 306 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,555,507 GRT/11,069,791 DWT
by type: bulk 90, cargo 77, chemical tanker 14, combination bulk 1,
combination ore/oil 2, container 10, liquefied gas 10,
passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 93, roll on/roll off 1,
short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 63 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: China 2, Portugal 1

Airports:
333 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 234
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 47
914 to 1,523 m: 74
under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 78

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 99
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 45 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 42

Heliports:
20 (2003 est.)

Military India

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,
various security or paramilitary forces (including Border Security
Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border
Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,
Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and
Defense Security Corps)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 293,677,117 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 172,153,371 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 11,174,415 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14,018.8 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.4% (2003)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international:
Kashmir remains the world's most highly militarized territorial
dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China
(Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir
and Northern Areas), but recent discussions and confidence-building
measures among parties are beginning to defuse tensions; India does
not recognize Pakistan's ceding lands to China in the 1965 boundary
agreement; disputes with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing and
the terminus of the Sir Creek Estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary delimitation; Pakistani maps
continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; most of the
rugged, militarized boundary with China is in dispute, but sides
have committed to begin resolution with discussions on the least
disputed Middle Sector; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues
to work on resolution of minor disputed boundary sections;
discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small
section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in
both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
cross-border trade, migration, and violence; Bangladesh protests
India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous
boundary; dispute with Bangladesh over volcanic New Moore/South
Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime
boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma
to keep out Indian Nagaland insurgents; joint border commission
continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with Nepal;
India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of
Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (China), 60,922 (Sri Lanka)
IDPs: 650,000 (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri
Hindus) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical
trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics
produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;
vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Indian Ocean

Introduction Indian Ocean

Background:
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the
Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access
waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
south of 60 degrees south.

Geography Indian Ocean

Location:
body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and
Australia

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 68.556 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,
Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
about 5.5 times the size of the US

Coastline:
66,526 km

Climate:
northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to
October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and
October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February
in the southern Indian Ocean

Terrain:
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system
of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of
surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric
pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in
the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,
while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter
air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest
winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean
Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest
Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards:
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and
whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Geography - note:
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait
of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

Economy Indian Ocean

Economy - overview:
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle
East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries
a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products
from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are
of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for
domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,
South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for
shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in
the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production
comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and
offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand.

Transportation Indian Ocean

Ports and harbors:
Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South
Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne
(Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)

Transnational Issues Indian Ocean

Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Indonesia

Introduction Indonesia

Background:
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century;
the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia
declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required
four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and
UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. Current issues
include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism,
continuing the transition to popularly-elected governments after
four decades of authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the
banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption,
holding the military and police accountable for human rights
violations, and resolving armed separatist movements in Aceh and
Papua.

Geography Indonesia

Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the
Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates:
5 00 S, 120 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 1,919,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 2,830 km
border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New
Guinea 820 km

Coastline:
54,716 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,
fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Land use:
arable land: 11.32%
permanent crops: 7.23%
other: 81.45% (2001)

Irrigated land:
48,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air
pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

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

Geography - note:
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator;
strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian
Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People Indonesia

Population:
238,452,952 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 35,635,790; female 34,416,854)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 78,097,767; female 78,147,909)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 5,308,986; female 6,845,646) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 26.1 years
male: 25.7 years
female: 26.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.49% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 36.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 31.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 42.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.26 years
male: 66.84 years
female: 71.8 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian

Ethnic groups:
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%,
other 26%

Religions:
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist
1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English,
Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.9%
male: 92.5%
female: 83.4% (2002)

Government Indonesia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local short form: Indonesia
former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
local long form: Republik Indonesia

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Jakarta

Administrative divisions:
30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special
regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*,
Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**,
Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan
Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa
Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat,
Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi
Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara,
Yogyakarta*; note - with the implementation of decentralization on 1
January 2001, the 357 districts or regencies became the key
administrative units responsible for providing most government
services

Independence:
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Constitution:
August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
elections: president and vice president were elected by direct vote
of the citizenry
head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
(DPR) (550 seats; members serve five-year terms); House of Regional
Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally
mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues
affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis
Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
impeaching President and in amending constitution; consists of
popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
national policy
elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
always follow the number of votes received by parties

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
separate Constitutional Court or Makhama Konstitusi was invested by
the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA,
chairman]; Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO, chairman];
Functional Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA, chairman]; Indonesia
Democratic Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri,
chairperson]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Alwi SHIHAB,
chairman]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Amien RAIS, chairman];
Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [MAHFUD, acting chairman]; United
Development Party or PPP [Hamzah HAZ, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SOEMADI Brotodiningrat
chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 3-5, Jakarta 10110
mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520
telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000
FAX: [62] (21) 385-7189
consulate(s) general: Surabaya

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of
Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy Indonesia

Economy - overview:
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, faces economic development
problems stemming from recent acts of terrorism, unequal resource
distribution among regions, endemic corruption, the lack of reliable
legal recourse in contract disputes, weaknesses in the banking
system, and a generally poor climate for foreign investment.
Indonesia withdrew from its IMF program at the end of 2003, but
issued a "White Paper" that commits the government to maintaining
fundamentally sound macroeconomic policies previously established
under IMF guidelines. Investors, however, continued to face a host
of on-the-ground microeconomic problems and an inadequate judicial
system. Keys to future growth remain internal reform, building up
the confidence of international and domestic investors, and strong
global economic growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $758.8 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 43.6%
services: 39.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
27% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 26.7% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.6% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
105.7 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 45%, industry 16%, services 39% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $40.91 billion
expenditures: $44.95 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
72.9% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil,
copra, poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining,
cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
3.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
95.78 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
89.08 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
7.083 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.549 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$7.336 billion (2003)

Exports:
$63.89 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber

Exports - partners:
Japan 22.3%, US 12.1%, Singapore 8.9%, South Korea 7.1%, China 6.2%
(2003)

Imports:
$40.22 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Japan 13%, Singapore 12.8%, China 9.1%, US 8.3%, Thailand 5.2%,
Australia 5.1%, South Korea 4.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.6% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$36.25 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$135.7 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$43 billion Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but
still receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on
Indonesia (CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for
2004. (2003 est.)

Currency:
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)

Currency code:
IDR

Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 8,577.13 (2003), 9,311.19
(2002), 10,260.8 (2001), 8,421.77 (2000), 7,855.15 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but
starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year

Communications Indonesia

Telephones - main lines in use:
7.75 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.7 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international service
good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)

Radios:
31.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
41 (1999)

Televisions:
13.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.id

Internet hosts:
62,036 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)

Internet users:
8 million (2002)

Transportation Indonesia

Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
0.750-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 342,700 km
paved: 158,670 km
unpaved: 184,030 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
21,579 km
note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460
km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 850 km; condensate/gas 128 km; gas 8,506 km; oil 7,472
km; oil/gas/water 66 km; refined products 1,329 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Palembang, Semarang,
Surabaya

Merchant marine:
total: 718 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,192,847 GRT/4,319,739 DWT
by type: bulk 47, cargo 398, chemical tanker 13, container 57,
liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 1, passenger 10, passenger/cargo
13, petroleum tanker 128, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 15,
short-sea/passenger 9, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 7
registered in other countries: 109 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: France 1, Germany 1, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong
2, Japan 3, Malaysia 1, Monaco 2, Panama 1, Philippines 2, Singapore
12, Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 2, United States 1

Airports:
661 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 154
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 49
under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 44

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 513
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 480 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 27

Heliports:
22 (2003 est.)

Military Indonesia

Military branches:
Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI): Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL,
including Marines, Naval Air arm), Air Force (TNI-AU)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 66,458,805 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 38,728,029 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 2,196,424 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Indonesia

Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey
and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the boundary
remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest the sovereignty
of the uninhabited coral island of Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which
hinders a decision on a northern maritime boundary; numbers of East
Timor refugees in Indonesia refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty
between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime
boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and
Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 prompted Indonesia to assert
claims to and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands;
Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create
repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 535,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most
IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi
Provinces) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible
growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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Introduction Iran