Chapter V: Front Matter (5)

Government type:
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1
December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes
the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 26th
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Madrid, Spain in
June 2003; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by
consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the
end of 2003, there were 45 treaty member nations: 27 consultative
and 18 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members
include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as
national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 non-claimant
nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims;
the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is
administered through meetings of the consultative member nations;
decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member
nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in
accordance with their own national laws; the year in parentheses
indicates when an acceding nation was accepted as a consultative
member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959
treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant
consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1983), Bulgaria (1998)
China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989), Germany (1981), India
(1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990),
Peru (1989), Poland (1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1988),
Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), and the US; non-consultative members,
with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada
(1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark
(1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary
(1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971),
Slovakia (1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992),
and Venezuela (1999); Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful
purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is
prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for
scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 -
freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;
Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation
with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not
recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new
claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 -
prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south
of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights;
Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including
aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through five specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment,
2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and
waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, and 5) area
protection and management; it prohibits all activities relating to
mineral resources except scientific research

Legal system:
Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative
member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by
these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and
operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law,
including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such
as murder, may apply extra-territorially; some US laws directly
apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16
U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties
for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of
statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of
nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected
areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation
into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the
Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in
fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and
Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law
95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in
1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in
advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as
required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact
Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science
Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or
visit their website at www.nsf.gov

Economy Antarctica

Economy - overview:
Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for
the limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2000-01 (1
July-30 June) reported landing 112,934 metric tons. Unregulated
fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a serious problem.
The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources determines the recommended catch limits for marine
species. A total of 13,571 tourists visited in the 2002-03 antarctic
summer, up from the 11,588 who visited the previous year. Nearly all
of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and
several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips
last approximately two weeks.

Communications Antarctica

Telephones - main lines in use:
0
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: NA
international: country code - 672; via satellite (mobile Inmarsat
and Iridium system) from some research stations

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: information for US bases only (2002)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic
Network-McMurdo)
note: information for US bases only (2002)

Televisions:
several hundred at McMurdo Station (US)
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Internet country code:
.aq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Transportation Antarctica

Ports and harbors:
there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most
coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03
W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under
"Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in
accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage is
sparse and intermittent

Airports:
there are no developed public access airports or landing
facilities; 30 stations, operated by 16 national governments party
to the Antarctic Treaty, have restricted aircraft landing facilities
for either helicopters and/or fixed-wing aircraft; commercial
enterprises operate two additional aircraft landing facilities;
helicopter pads are available at 27 stations; runways at 15
locations are gravel, sea-ice, blue-ice, or compacted snow suitable
for landing wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, 1 is greater
than 3 km in length, 6 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 3 are
between 1 km and 2 km in length, 3 are less than 1 km in length, and
2 are of unknown length; snow surface skiways, limited to use by
ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft, are available at another 15
locations; of these, 4 are greater than 3 km in length, 3 are
between 2 km and 3 km in length, 2 are between 1 km and 2 km in
length, 2 are less than 1 km in length, and 4 are of unknown length;
aircraft landing facilities generally subject to severe restrictions
and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic
conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO standards;
advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental
operating organization required for landing; landed aircraft are
subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty
(2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Heliports:
27 stations have restricted helicopter landing facilities
(helipads) (2003 est.)

Military Antarctica

Military - note:
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature,
such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the
carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of
weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for
scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

Transnational Issues Antarctica

Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in
Government type entry); sections (some overlapping) claimed by
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK; the US and
most other states do not recognize the territorial claims of other
states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve
the right to do so); no claims have been made in the sector between
90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; several states with land
claims in Antarctica have expressed their intention to submit data
to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to
extend their continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea ridges

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Antigua and Barbuda

Introduction Antigua and Barbuda

Background:
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and
Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the
islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early
settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English
who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar
plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an
independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

Geography Antigua and Barbuda

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
land: 443 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
153 km

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

Climate:
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources:
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use:
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh
water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to
increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

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

Geography - note:
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors
and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor

People Antigua and Barbuda

Population:
68,320 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 9,761; female 9,429)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 23,179; female 23,023)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,151; female 1,777) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.4 years
male: 28.9 years
female: 29.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.6% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-6.15 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 24.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.6 years
male: 69.26 years
female: 74.07 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Ethnic groups:
black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Religions:
Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some
Roman Catholic)

Languages:
English (official), local dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1960 est.)

Government Antigua and Barbuda

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament

Capital:
Saint John's (Antigua)

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Independence:
1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Constitution:
1 November 1981

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June
1993)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March
2004)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives
(17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to
serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ALP 4, UPP 12, contested 1; note - new election will decide the
contested seat
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next
to be held NA 2009)

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
Court of Summary Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's
Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP
[Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United
National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation
Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel A. HURST
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy
closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary
E. KRAMER, is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description:
red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of
the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black
(top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black
band

Economy Antigua and Barbuda

Economy - overview:
Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than
half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have
slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight
fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is
focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water
supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages
in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type
assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts,
and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the
medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the
industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for
slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 19.2%
services: 76.8% (2002)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
30,000

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 7%, industry 11%, services 82% (1983)

Unemployment rate:
11% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes,
sugarcane; livestock

Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol,
household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
105.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
97.89 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
3,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$689 million (2002)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport
equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners:
Germany 84.9%, UK 3.8%, US 3.3% (2003)

Imports:
$692 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners:
US 26.5%, Singapore 10%, Poland 7%, Germany 6.1%, UK 6.1%, Trinidad
and Tobago 4.4% (2003)

Debt - external:
$231 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.3 million (1995)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7
(2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Antigua and Barbuda

Telephones - main lines in use:
38,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
38,200 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric
scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
36,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
31,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ag

Internet hosts:
1,665 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
10,000 (2002)

Transportation Antigua and Barbuda

Highways:
total: 250 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Saint John's

Merchant marine:
total: 867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,873,626 GRT/7,683,143 DWT
by type: bulk 25, cargo 477, chemical tanker 13, container 284,
liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large load carrier 15,
refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 32, vehicle carrier 1
registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3,
Colombia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 818,
Greece 2, Iceland 5, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 2, Malaysia 1,
Netherlands 19, New Zealand 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 5,
Sweden 2, Switzerland 5, Turkey 3, United States 10

Airports:
3 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Antigua and Barbuda

Military branches:
Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (including Coast Guard)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Antigua and Barbuda

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the
US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Arctic Ocean

Introduction Arctic Ocean

Background:
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after
the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently
delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and
Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal
waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes
circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Geography Arctic Ocean

Location:
body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north
of the Arctic Circle

Geographic coordinates:
90 00 N, 0 00 E

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 14.056 million sq km
note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara
Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Coastline:
45,389 km

Climate:
polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively
narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by
continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear
skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy
weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Terrain:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that
averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may
be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort
Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New
Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and
Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer,
but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the
encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental
shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central
basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera,
Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)

Natural hazards:
ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island;
icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme
northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked
from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from
October to May

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile
ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or
damage; thinning polar icepack

Geography - note:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to
the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between
North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes
of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated
by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20
to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10
months

Economy Arctic Ocean

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural
resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

Transportation Arctic Ocean

Ports and harbors:
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)

Transportation - note:
sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest
Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are
important seasonal waterways

Transnational Issues Arctic Ocean

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Argentina

Introduction Argentina

Background:
Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced
periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and
liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War
II, a long period of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in
subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took
power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and numerous elections
since then have underscored Argentina's progress in democratic
consolidation.

Geography Argentina

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Chile and Uruguay

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 S, 64 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 2,766,890 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 9,665 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

Coastline:
4,989 km

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

Climate:
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau
of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San
Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa
Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern
corner of the province of Mendoza)

Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,
manganese, petroleum, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 12.31%
permanent crops: 0.48%
other: 87.21% (2001)

Irrigated land:
15,610 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to
earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the
pampas and northeast; heavy flooding

Environment - current issues:
environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an
industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation,
desertification, air pollution, and water pollution
note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse
gas targets

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic
location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the
South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South America's tallest mountain, while
Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

People Argentina

Population:
39,144,753 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 5,179,236; female 4,947,234)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 12,452,566; female 12,457,451)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,685,371; female 2,422,895) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.02% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.7 years
male: 71.95 years
female: 79.65 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine

Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo, Amerindian, or
other nonwhite groups 3%

Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant
2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Languages:
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

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

Government Argentina

Country name:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Buenos Aires

Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous
city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios,
Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio
Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del
Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur,
Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)

Constitution:
1 May 1853; revised August 1994

Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice
President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: results of the presidential primary of 27 April
2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
the eve of the election
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; the last election held was the
presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be
held NA 2007)

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently
one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)
and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by
direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a
four-year term)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA;
seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats
by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6,
other/provincial parties 38
elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the
2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies -
last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003
(next to be held NA 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are
appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a
Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in
Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro
ALESSANDRO]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of
approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA];
Justicialist Party or PJ [leader NA] (Peronist umbrella political
organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal
Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Socialist Party
or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH];
several provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine
Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural
Society (large landowners' association); business organizations;
General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella
labor organization); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical
union for employed and unemployed workers); Peronist-dominated labor
movement; Roman Catholic Church; students

International organization participation:
AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,
UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light
blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a
human face known as the Sun of May

Economy Argentina

Economy - overview:
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate
population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a
diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the
country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation,
external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000
was a negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained
skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the
peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic
situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine
bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in
consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a
"zero deficit," to stabilize the banking system, and to restore
economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting
economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in
January 2002, and the peso was floated in February; the exchange
rate plunged and inflation picked up rapidly, but by mid-2002 the
economy had stabilized, albeit at a lower level. Strong demand for
the peso compelled the Central Bank to intervene in foreign exchange
markets to curb its appreciation in 2003. Led by record exports, the
economy began to recover with output up 8% in 2003, unemployment
falling, and inflation reduced to under 4% at year-end.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $435.5 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.1%
industry: 34.8%
services: 54.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.1% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
51.7% (May 2003)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.4% (2003)

Labor force:
14.92 million (2003)

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

Unemployment rate:
17.3% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $26.62 billion
expenditures: $26 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
65.7% of GDP (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts,
tea, wheat; livestock

Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles,
chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

Industrial production growth rate:
16.2% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
97.17 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
92.12 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
5.662 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
7.417 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
828,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
486,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$7.855 billion (2003)

Exports:
$29.57 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles

Exports - partners:
Brazil 15.8%, Chile 12%, US 10.6%, China 8.4%, Spain 4.7% (2003)

Imports:
$13.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
manufactures, plastics

Imports - partners:
Brazil 34%, US 16.4%, Germany 5.6%, China 5.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$14.16 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$145.6 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$10 billion (2001 est.)

Currency:
Argentine peso (ARS)

Currency code:
ARS

Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9003 (2003), 3.0633 (2002),
0.9995 (2001), 0.9995 (2000), 0.9995 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Argentina

Telephones - main lines in use:
8,009,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.5 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to
competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications
Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of
modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines
are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are
entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being
improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and
making telephone service universally available will take time
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding
international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 8
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables;
two international gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than
1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

Radios:
24.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
7.95 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ar

Internet hosts:
742,358 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
33 (2000)

Internet users:
4.1 million (2002)

Transportation Argentina

Railways:
total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified)
broad gauge: 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 215,471 km
paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)

Waterways:
11,000 km (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 27,166 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined
products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del
Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario,
Santa Fe, Ushuaia

Merchant marine:
total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 149,007 GRT/212,620 DWT
by type: cargo 9, petroleum tanker 9, rail car carrier 1,
refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Uruguay 1
registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)

Airports:
1,335 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 62
914 to 1,523 m: 44
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,190
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 50
914 to 1,523 m: 569
under 914 m: 567 (2004 est.)

Military Argentina

Military branches:
Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes Naval
Aviation and Marines), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina,
FAA)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 9,901,352 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,042,304 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 327,738 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Argentina

Disputes - international:
UK continues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina,
whose constitution still claims UK-administered Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
but in 1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by force; Beagle
Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984,
but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial
claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see
Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of
Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering,
smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and fundraising for extremist
organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over
Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint
with Argentina in question

Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and
the US; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border
Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Armenia

Introduction Armenia

Background:
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt
Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over
the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was
incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian
leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim
Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated
region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow.
Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the
struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold,
Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a
significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both
sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress
toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on
Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Geography Armenia

Location:
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Terrain:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing
rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Land use:
arable land: 17.55%
permanent crops: 2.3%
other: 80.15% (2001)

Irrigated land:
2,870 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis
of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for
firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the
draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a
source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of
Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a
seismically active zone

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake
Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

People Armenia

Population:
2,991,360
note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in
October 2001 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 357,094; female 323,396)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 929,719; female 1,065,505)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 128,027; female 187,619) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.7 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 32.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.32% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.18 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 29.32 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.23 years
male: 67.73 years
female: 75.36 years (2004 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian

Ethnic groups:
Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4%
(2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from
Armenia

Religions:
Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi
(Zoroastrian/animist) 2%

Languages:
Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.4%
female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Armenia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Yerevan

Administrative divisions:
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat,
Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Independence:
21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1991)

Constitution:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA
2008); prime minister appointed by the president; the prime minister
and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly
refuses to accept their program
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of
vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75
members elected by party list, 56 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
2007)
note: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice
Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity
Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican
Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11,
National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change
frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves
independent

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)

Political parties and leaders:
Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik
MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN,
chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun
MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation
("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN]; Democratic Party
[Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the
People's Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity
Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia
[Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram
SARKISYAN, chairmen]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN];
Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; Union of
Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party
[Gurgen ARSENIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSSIAN
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John M. EVANS
embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, 7020
Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: [374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-117, 542-132, 524-661,
527-001, 524-840
FAX: [374](1) 520-800

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange

Economy Armenia

Economy - overview:
Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed
a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and
other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw
materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December
1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the
large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural
sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated
technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace,
but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration.
Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold,
bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the
ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup
of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union
contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By
1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious
IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in
positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia joined the WTrO in
January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize
the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and
medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia
suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy
supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is
now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient
generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under
international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system
was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been
offset somewhat by international aid and foreign direct investment.
Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy
sector.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $11.79 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.9% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.4%
industry: 35.1%
services: 41.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.8% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
50% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 46.2% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.4 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.4 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 45%, industry 25%, services 30% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
20% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $425.9 million
expenditures: $460.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003)

Agriculture - products:
fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Industries:
diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing
machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk
fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry
manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy

Industrial production growth rate:
15% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.479 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.784 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia;
includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2001)

Electricity - imports:
463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-210 million (2003)

Exports:
$735 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Exports - partners:
Belgium 18.2%, UK 16.8%, Israel 15.7%, Russia 12.1%, Iran 7.9%, US
6.3%, Germany 5% (2003)

Imports:
$1.18 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners:
Belgium 11.6%, Russia 11.6%, Israel 11.3%, US 9.5%, Iran 8.8%,
Germany 6.7%, UAE 5.4%, Italy 4.7%, Ukraine 4.6% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$509.4 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$905 million (June 2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $170 million (2000)

Currency:
dram (AMD)

Currency code:
AMD

Exchange rates:
drams per US dollar - 578.763 (2002), 555.078 (2001), 539.526
(2000), 535.062 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Armenia

Telephones - main lines in use:
562,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
114,400 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and
undergoing modernization and expansion
domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the
Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional
international service is available by microwave radio relay and
landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of
Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and
by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
850,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters); (1998)

Televisions:
825,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.am

Internet hosts:
2,206 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2001)

Internet users:
150,000 (2003)

Transportation Armenia

Railways:
total: 845 km
broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2003)

Highways:
total: 15,918 km
paved: 15,329 km (includes 7,527 km of expressways)
unpaved: 589 km (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 1,871 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
17 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)

Military Armenia

Military branches:
Army, Air Force and Air Defense Force