Chapter LXI: Front Matter (61)

Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year
term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

Political parties and leaders:
only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc Manh,
general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [84] (4) 772-1500
FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Flag description:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

Economy Vietnam

Economy - overview:
Vietnam is a poor, densely-populated country that has had to
recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from
the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned
economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996 in
moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth
averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian
financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy,
but rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's belief
that shifting to a market-oriented economy would lead to disaster.
GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth
then rose to 6% to 7% in 2000-02 even against the background of
global recession. These numbers mask some major difficulties in
economic performance. Many domestic industries, including coal,
cement, steel, and paper, have reported large stockpiles of
inventory and tough competition from more efficient foreign
producers. Since the Party elected new leadership in 2001,
Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic
liberalization and have moved to implement the structural reforms
needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive,
export-driven industries. The US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement
entered into force near the end of 2001 and is expected to
significantly increase Vietnam's exports to the US. The US is
assisting Vietnam with implementing the legal and structural reforms
called for in the agreement.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $203.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.8%
industry: 39.7%
services: 38.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
33% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
37% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.1 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
45.74 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6.1% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $8.689 billion
expenditures: $9.718 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
64.3% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas,
sugar; poultry, pigs, fish

Industries:
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement,
chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper

Industrial production growth rate:
16% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
29.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
27.71 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
356,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
185,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

Natural gas - consumption:
1.3 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:
192.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-1.781 billion (2003)

Exports:
$19.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments,
shoes

Exports - partners:
US 21.9%, Japan 13.8%, Australia 6.8%, China 6.5%, Germany 5.8%,
Singapore 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2003)

Imports:
$22.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel
products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Imports - partners:
China 13.7%, Taiwan 11.4%, Japan 11.3%, South Korea 11%, Singapore
10.4%, US 5.7%, Thailand 5.4%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$6.357 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$14.69 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors
for 2000 (2004)

Currency:
dong (VND)

Currency code:
VND

Exchange rates:
dong per US dollar - 15,279.5 (2003), 15,279.5 (2002), 14,725.2
(2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Vietnam

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.742 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into
modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its
performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios:
8.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
3.57 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.vn

Internet hosts:
340 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
3.5 million (2003)

Transportation Vietnam

Railways:
total: 2,600 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m
gauges (2003)
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways:
total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km
unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206
km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon,
Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau

Merchant marine:
total: 194 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,170,621 GRT/1,798,376 DWT
registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 16, cargo 135, chemical tanker 1, container 8,
liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 3, roll
on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Germany 1, Japan 2, South Korea 1, United
Kingdom 3

Airports:
19 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2003 est.)

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

Military Vietnam

Military branches:
People's Army of Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command
(including Naval Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 23,438,858 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 14,694,574 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 853,197 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$650 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Vietnam

Disputes - international:
demarcation of the land boundary with China continues, but maritime
boundary and joint fishing zone agreement remains unimplemented;
Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed
encroachments along border; China occupies Paracel Islands also
claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with
China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the
Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally
binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants

Illicit drugs:
minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for
Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine
addiction problems

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Virgin Islands

Introduction Virgin Islands

Background:
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two
territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane,
produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th
and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish
portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of
slavery in 1848.

Geography Virgin Islands

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

Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 352 sq km
water: 3 sq km
land: 349 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
188 km

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

Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to
November

Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use:
arable land: 11.76%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 85.29% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts
and floods; occasional earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources

Geography - note:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane
for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural
deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

People Virgin Islands

Population:
108,775 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770)
15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.9 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 36.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.05% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.75 years
male: 74.91 years
female: 82.82 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.21 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: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:
black 78%, white 10%, other 12%
note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born
elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%,
other 2%

Religions:
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%

Languages:
English (official), Spanish, Creole

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

Government Virgin Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies

Dependency status:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the
Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Charlotte Amalie

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

National holiday:
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)

Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system:
based on US laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens
but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor;
percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John
de JONGH 24.4%
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
January 1999)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the
US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002
(next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M.
CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected

Judicial branch:
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit
jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor
for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens'
Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the
large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle
holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other
with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a
blue panel

Economy Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP
and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year.
The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural
sector is small, with most food being imported. International
business and financial services are a small but growing component of
the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at
Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from
storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to
support construction projects in the private sector, to expand
tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2003)

Labor force:
48,900 (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
9.3% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $560
expenditures: NA (2003)

Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
1.03 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
957.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
66,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
69,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
41,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with total digital switching, uses
fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable and satellite
communications; satellite earth stations - NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)

Radios:
107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)

Televisions:
68,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
30,000 (2002)

Transportation Virgin Islands

Highways:
total: 856 km
paved: NA km
note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the
road is practiced (2000)
unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors:
Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Virgin Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Wake Island

Introduction Wake Island

Background:
The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An
important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December
1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end
of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a
stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft
transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been
used by the US military and some commercial cargo planes, as well as
for emergency landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the
island.

Geography Wake Island

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the
way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Geographic coordinates:
19 17 N, 166 36 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
19.3 km

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

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano;
central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
location for transpacific flights

People Wake Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor
personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were
present (July 2004 est.)

Government Wake Island

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

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are
conducted by the US Army under a caretaker permit from the US Air
Force

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Wake Island

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors
located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be
imported.

Electricity - production:
NA

Communications Wake Island

Telephone system:
general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the
Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
provided by satellite (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Transportation Wake Island

Ports and harbors:
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

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

Transportation - note:
formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US
military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings

Military Wake Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support facility is
part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS)
administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC)

Transnational Issues Wake Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Marshall Islands

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Wallis and Futuna

Introduction Wallis and Futuna

Background:
Although discovered by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and
18th centuries, it was the French who declared a protectorate over
the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted
to become a French overseas territory.

Geography Wallis and Futuna

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
13 18 S, 176 12 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 274 sq km
note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island),
Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
water: 0 sq km
land: 274 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
129 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season
(May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity);
average temperature 26.6 degrees C

Terrain:
volcanic origin; low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 25%
other: 70% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain)
largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel
source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the
mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion;
there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of
natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
both island groups have fringing reefs

People Wallis and Futuna

Population:
15,880 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate:
NA

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
Caledonia (2004 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian

Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Languages:
French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50%
male: 50%
female: 50% (1969 est.)

Government Wallis and Futuna

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
local short form: Wallis et Futuna
local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna

Dependency status:
overseas territory of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French legal system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Administrator Xavier DE FURST (since 18
January 2005)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by
the members of the assembly
note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione
KANIMOA (since NA January 2001)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three
members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the
Territorial Assembly

Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2007)
note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by NA
September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats -
RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16
June 2002 (next to be held by NA 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7

Judicial branch:
none; justice generally administered under French law by the high
administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Political parties and leaders:
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians) [leader NA]; Mouvement des Radicaux de
Gauche or MRG [leader NA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Clovis
LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire
Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or
UDF [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
FZ, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
a large white modified Maltese cross - shifted a little off center
toward the fly and slightly downward - on a red background; the flag
of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist
quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Economy Wallis and Futuna

Economy - overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and
vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
population is employed in government. Revenues come from French
Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South
Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New
Caledonia.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $57.59 million (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)

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

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:
breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats

Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Exports:
$250,000 f.o.b. (1999)

Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials

Exports - partners:
Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13%

Imports:
$300,000 f.o.b. (1999)

Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 97%, Australia 2%, New Zealand 1%

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
assistance from France

Currency:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:
XPF

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73
(2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999),
107.25 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Wallis and Futuna

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2000)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.wf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
900 (2002)

Transportation Wallis and Futuna

Highways:
total: 120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
paved: 16 km (all on Ile Uvea)
unpaved: 104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)

Ports and harbors:
Leava, Mata-Utu

Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 134,037 GRT/14,271 DWT
by type: passenger 6
foreign-owned: France 3, Greece 1, Monaco 1, United States 1 (2004
est.)

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

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

Military Wallis and Futuna

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Wallis and Futuna

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@West Bank

Introduction West Bank

Background:
The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and
responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the
Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of
the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip
and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional
areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility
during the transitional period for external and internal security
and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct
negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank
that began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, were
derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The
resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian
Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent
agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasir
ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBAS
in January 2005 could bring a turning point in the conflict.

Geography West Bank

Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
water: 220 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm
to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren
in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97%
other: 64.13% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
droughts

Environment - current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment

Geography - note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
aquifers; there are 244 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem
settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts(August 2003
est.)

People West Bank

Population:
2,311,204
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.8% (male 518,470; female 493,531)
15-64 years: 52.8% (male 623,785; female 595,376)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 34,226; female 45,816) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 18 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.21% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 22.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.88 years
male: 71.14 years
female: 74.72 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.52 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: NA
adjective: NA

Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%

Religions:
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%

Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)

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

Government West Bank

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank

Economy West Bank

Economy - overview:
Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS)
declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the
combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population
growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of
Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in
response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and
commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most
serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment,
which in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995
it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures
during the next three years decreased and, in 1998, Israel
implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other
security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor.
These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in
1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the
outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of
Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor
movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military
measures in Palestinian Authority areas resulted in the destruction
of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread
business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Including Gaza Strip,
the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the
125,000 who used to work in Israel, in Israeli settlements, or in
joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. In addition, about
80,000 Palestinian workers inside the Territories are losing their
jobs. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank
and Gaza Strip prevented the complete collapse of the economy. In
2004, on-going border issues and the death of Yasser ARAFAT
continued to complicate the economic situation.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-22% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 28%
services: 63%
note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
60% (2003 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 13%, industry 21%, services 66% (1996)

Unemployment rate:
50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $676.6 million
expenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(includes Gaza Strip) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Industries:
generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles,
soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the
Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the
settlements and industrial centers

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East
Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to
Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most
Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian
municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own
electricity from small power plants

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh

Exports:
$603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip

Exports - commodities:
olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Exports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)

Imports:
$1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip

Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)

Debt - external:
$108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2001-02 est.)

Currency:
new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:
ILS; JOD

Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002),
4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999); Jordanian dinars per US
dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996)

Fiscal year:
calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Communications West Bank

Telephones - main lines in use:
301,600 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
480,000 (cellular subscribers in both West Bank and Gaza Strip)
(2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are
responsible for communication services in the West Bank

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM
station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are
reported to be in operation (2000)

Radios:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)

Internet country code:
.ps

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (1999)

Internet users:
145,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2003)

Transportation West Bank

Highways:
total: 4,500 km
paved: 2,700 km
unpaved: 1,800 km
note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish
settlements (1997 est.)

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
3 (2003 est.)

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

Military West Bank

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues West Bank

Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 665,246 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Western Sahara

Introduction Western Sahara

Background:
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara
(formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in
1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991
UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status
has been repeatedly postponed.

Geography Western Sahara

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Mauritania and Morocco

Geographic coordinates:
24 30 N, 13 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Coastline:
1,110 km

Maritime claims:
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce
fog and heavy dew

Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
restricting visibility

Environment - current issues:
sparse water and lack of arable land

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

People Western Sahara

Population:
267,405 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate:
NA

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Sex ratio:
NA

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

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups:
Arab, Berber

Religions:
Muslim

Languages:
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

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

Government Western Sahara

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara

Government type:
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved;
territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front
for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in
February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),led by President Mohamed
ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in
April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to
its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector
shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control;
the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an OAU member in
1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a
UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

Capital:
none

Administrative divisions:
none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage:
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed

Executive branch:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none

Economy Western Sahara

Economy - overview:
Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate
mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The
territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural
production, and most of the food for the urban population must be
imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by
the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed
contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which
has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in
Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: 40% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA

Labor force:
12,000

Labor force - by occupation:
animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Unemployment rate:
NA

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

Agriculture - products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep,
goats (kept by nomads)

Industries:
phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
90 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
83.7 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
phosphates 62%

Exports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000)

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code:
MAD

Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002),
11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Western Sahara

Telephones - main lines in use:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
Rabat, Morocco

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

Radios:
56,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
6,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.eh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Western Sahara

Highways:
total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km
unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)

Ports and harbors:
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Airports:
11 (2003 est.)

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

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

Military Western Sahara

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Western Sahara

Disputes - international:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty
remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have
failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@World

Introduction World

Background:
Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world
wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast
colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from
the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the
landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance
and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in
North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the
environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and
water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h)
the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of
the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population
continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930,
3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6
billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential
growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances
in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal
weapons of war).

Geography World

Map references:
Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World, Standard
Time Zones of the World

Area:
total: 510.072 million sq km
water: 361.132 million sq km
land: 148.94 million sq km
note: 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land

Area - comparative:
land area about 16 times the size of the US

Land boundaries:
the land boundaries in the world total 250,472 km (not counting
shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border
14 other countries
note: 43 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include:
Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic,
Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San
Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan,
West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and
Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked

Coastline:
356,000 km
note: 98 nations and other entities are islands that border no other
countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and
Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Baker Island, Barbados, Bassas da India, Bermuda, Bouvet Island,
British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde,
Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Cyprus,
Dominica, Europa Island, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe
Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
Lands, Glorioso Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard
Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Jamaica, Jan
Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Juan de Nova
Island, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Isle of
Man, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated
States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa
Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern
Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines,
Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tromelin Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Maritime claims:
a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make
the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as
described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive
economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of
continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary
situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from
extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm

Climate:
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow
temperate zones form a wide equatorial band of tropical to
subtropical climates

Terrain:
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the
Pacific Ocean

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is
the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific
Ocean
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999 est.)

Natural resources:
the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
(especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
beginning to address

Land use:
arable land: 10.73%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 88.27% (2001)

Irrigated land:
2,714,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural
disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)

Environment - current issues:
large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters,
pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of
vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of
wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion

Geography - note:
the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just
about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for the universe

People World

Population:
6,379,157,361 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.2% (male 925,276,767; female 875,567,830)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 2,083,789,165; female 2,033,226,759)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 203,286,504; female 257,705,851)
note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus
a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and
the total for world age structure (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.14% (2004 est.)

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 52.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.05 years
male: 62.48 years
female: 65.7 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Religions:
Christians 32.71% (of which Roman Catholics 17.28%, Protestants
5.61%, Orthodox 3.49%, Anglicans 1.31%), Muslims 19.67%, Hindus
13.28%, Buddhists 5.84%, Sikhs 0.38%, Jews 0.23%, other religions
13.05%, non-religious 12.43%, atheists 2.41% (2002 est.)

Languages:
Chinese, Mandarin 14.37%, Hindi 6.02%, English 5.61%, Spanish
5.59%, Bengali 3.4%, Portuguese 2.63%, Russian 2.75%, Japanese
2.06%, German, Standard 1.64%, Korean 1.28%, French 1.27% (2000 est.)
note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77%
male: 83%
female: 71% (1995 est.)

Government World

Administrative divisions:
271 nations, dependent areas, and other entities

Legal system:
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Economy World