Chapter LVII: Front Matter (57)

Economy - overview:
Thailand has a well developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise
economy, and welcomes foreign investment. Thailand has fully
recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis and was one of
East Asia's best performers in 2002-04. Increased consumption and
investment spending and strong export growth pushed GDP growth up to
6.9% in 2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. The
highly popular government's expansionist policy, including major
support of village economic development, has raised concerns about
fiscal discipline and the health of financial institutions. Bangkok
has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners
in an effort to boost exports and maintain high growth, and in 2004
began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the US. In late
December 2004, a major tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and
caused massive destruction of property in the southern provinces of
Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$524.8 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 44.3%
services: 46.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
36.43 million (November 2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
1.5% (November 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
10% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
51.1 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (Jan - Sep 2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $30.86 billion
expenditures: $31.94 billion, including capital expenditures of $5
billion (2004 est.)

Public debt:
47.6% of GDP (November 2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Industries:
tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages,
tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry, electric
appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits,
furniture, plastics, world's second-largest tungsten producer, and
third-largest tin producer

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
118.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 91.3%
hydro: 6.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
106.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
188 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
600 million kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
225,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
785,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2003)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
368.2 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Current account balance:
$6.736 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$87.91 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry,
automobiles, computers and electrical appliances

Exports - partners:
US 15.9%, Japan 13.9%, China 7.3%, Singapore 7.2%, Malaysia 5.4%,
Hong Kong 5.1% (2004)

Imports:
$80.84 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer
goods, fuels

Imports - partners:
Japan 23.6%, China 8.6%, US 7.6%, Malaysia 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%,
Taiwan 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$48.3 billion (2004)

Debt - external:
$50.59 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$72 million (2002)

Currency (code):
baht (THB)

Currency code:
THB

Exchange rates:
baht per US dollar - 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003), 42.96 (2002),
44.432 (2001), 40.112 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Thailand

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,617,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
26.5 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas
like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is
planned to be complete by 2006
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for
APCN submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios:
13.96 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
15.19 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.th

Internet hosts:
103,700 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
6,971,500 (2003)

Transportation Thailand

Railways:
total: 4,071 km
narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 57,403 km
paved: 56,542 km
unpaved: 861 km (2000 est.)

Waterways:
4,000 km
note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 3,112 km; refined products 265 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha

Merchant marine:
total: 386 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 57, cargo 142, chemical tanker 12, combination
ore/oil 1, container 21, liquefied gas 25, passenger 3,
passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 89, refrigerated cargo 30, roll
on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 55 (Indonesia 1, Japan 3, Norway 45, Singapore 6)
registered in other countries: 35 (2005)

Airports:
109 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 65
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2004 est.)

Military Thailand

Military branches:
Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine
Corps), Royal Thai Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are
registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obliation - 2
years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 21-49: 14.984 million (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 21-49: 10,342,337 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 530,493 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.775 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues Thailand

Disputes - international:
separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern
provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem
terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced border
surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Laos and Thailand
pledge to complete demarcation of their boundary in 2005; despite
continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and
Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers;
Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and
obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia
by ICJ decision in 1962; ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand
to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops resulting
in Thailand sheltering about 118,000 Burmese refugees in 2004;
Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam
construction on the Salween River near the border; environmentalists
in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of
hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan
Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 118,407 (Burma) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit
point for heroin en route to the international drug market from
Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of
cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring
countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication
efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in
amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing
indigenous abuse of methamphetamine

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Togo

Introduction Togo

Background:
French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA,
installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the
21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted
in the early 1990s, the government continued to be dominated by
President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has come under
fire from international organizations for human rights abuses and is
plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and multilateral
aid to Togo remains frozen, the European Union initiated a partial
resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004.
Upon his death in February 2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by
his son Faure GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military
and in contravention of the nation's constitution, was challenged by
popular protest and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders.
GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure and agreed to hold elections in
late April 2005.

Geography Togo

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and
Ghana

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 1 10 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Coastline:
56 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain:
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau;
low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 46.15%
permanent crops: 2.21%
other: 51.64% (2001)

Irrigated land:
70 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the
use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and
hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

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

Geography - note:
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

People Togo

Population:
5,681,519
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.2% (male 1,232,759/female 1,224,060)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,505,737/female 1,571,201)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 60,799/female 86,963) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.78 years
male: 17.42 years
female: 18.14 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.17% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
33.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
11.8 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 74.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 58.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 57.01 years
male: 55.02 years
female: 59.06 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.61 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.1% (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
10,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)

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

Ethnic groups:
native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe,
Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%

Languages:
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the
two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled
Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Government Togo

Country name:
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local long form: Republique Togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togoland

Government type:
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Capital:
Lome

Administrative divisions:
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Kara, Plateaux, Savanes,
Centrale, Maritime

Independence:
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

Constitution:
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the
Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Legal system:
French-based court system

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005);
note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded
by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005
validated the succession
head of government: Prime Minister Edem KODJO (since 8 June 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held NA); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of
vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas
LAWSON 1.0%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.6%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1
note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of
the Forces for Change, and the Action Committee for Renewal

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:
Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and
Equality or MOCEP [leader NA]; Rally for the Support for Development
and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People
or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress
or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]
note: Rally of the Togolese People or RPT, led by President
GNASSINGBE, was the only party until the formation of multiple
parties was legalized 12 April 1991

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE
embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome
mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94
FAX: [228] 221 79 52

Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating
with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in
the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia

Economy Togo

Economy - overview:
This small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both
commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment
for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be
imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export
earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is
the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate, but production
fell an estimated 22% in 2002 due to power shortages and the cost of
developing new deposits. The government's decade-long effort,
supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic
reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in
line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on
following through on privatization, increased openness in government
financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and
continued support from foreign donors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.684 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 39.5%
industry: 20.4%
services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.74 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
32% (1989 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $239.2 million
expenditures: $273.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice,
millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries:
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts,
textiles, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
108.8 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.7%
hydro: 1.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
451.2 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Current account balance:
$-125.6 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$663.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners:
Burkina Faso 16.4%, Ghana 15.1%, Benin 9.4%, Mali 7.6%, China 7.5%,
India 5.6% (2004)

Imports:
$824.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
China 25.5%, India 13.3%, France 11.5% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$267.4 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.4 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $80 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29
(2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Togo

Telephones - main lines in use:
60,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
220,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
system; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios:
940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
73,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tg

Internet hosts:
82 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2001)

Internet users:
210,000 (2003)

Transportation Togo

Railways:
total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 7,520 km
paved: 2,376 km
unpaved: 5,144 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Kpeme, Lome

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2005)

Airports:
9 (2004 est.)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Togo

Military branches:
Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
(2005)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,148,890 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 629,933 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$35.5 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.9% (2004)

Transnational Issues Togo

Disputes - international:
in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint
commission continues to resurvey the boundary

Illicit drugs:
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money
laundering not a significant problem

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Tokelau

Introduction Tokelau

Background:
Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island
groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in
1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Geography Tokelau

Location:
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 S, 172 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
101 km

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

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrain:
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
emigration to New Zealand

Geography - note:
consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number
of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three
meters above sea level

People Tokelau

Population:
1,405 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5% (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.01% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
NA

Death rate:
NA

Net migration rate:
NA

Sex ratio:
NA

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

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: -9 years
female: -9 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian

Religions:
Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Languages:
Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

Literacy:
NA

Government Tokelau

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau

Dependency status:
self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are
drafting a constitution and developing institutions and patterns of
self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with New
Zealand

Government type:
NA

Capital:
none; each atoll has its own administrative center

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Independence:
none (territory of New Zealand)

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970

Legal system:
New Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General of New Zealand Dame Silvia
CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001); New Zealand is represented by
Administrator Neil WALTER (since 1 March 2003)
head of government: Pio TUIA (since February 2005); note - position
rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau,
consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku
(village mayors) functions as a cabinet
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the
head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves
a one-year term

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional
representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to
serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats,
Atafu has 8 seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers
limited legislative power on the General Fono
elections: last held January 2002 (next to be held January 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal
jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UNESCO (associate), UPU

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

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

Flag description:
the flag of New Zealand is used

Economy Tokelau

Economy - overview:
Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of
resources greatly restrain economic development and confine
agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid
from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public
services, with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The
principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage
stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to
families from relatives in New Zealand.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.5 million (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.)

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

Labor force:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of
$37,300 (1987 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats

Industries:
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited
craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
$98,000 f.o.b. (1983)

Exports - commodities:
stamps, copra, handicrafts

Exports - partners:
New Zealand (2000)

Imports:
$323,000 c.i.f. (1983)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, building materials, fuel

Imports - partners:
New Zealand (2000)

Debt - external:
$0

Economic aid - recipient:
from New Zealand about $4 million annually

Currency (code):
New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code:
NZD

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003),
2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Tokelau

Telephones - main lines in use:
300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system;
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations, established in 1997

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: 1 radio station provides service to all islands (2002)

Radios:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Tokelau

Highways:
total: NA
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
none; lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2004
est.)

Military Tokelau

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Transnational Issues Tokelau

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Tonga

Introduction Tonga

Background:
The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a
Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in
1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its
independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Geography Tonga

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

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 175 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
419 km

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

Climate:
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May),
cool season (May to December)

Terrain:
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Natural resources:
fish, fertile soil

Land use:
arable land: 23.61%
permanent crops: 43.06%
other: 33.33% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on
Fonuafo'ou

Environment - current issues:
deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for
agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish
and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens
native sea turtle populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

People Tonga

Population:
112,422 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.2% (male 20,738/female 19,907)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 33,226/female 33,853)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,031/female 2,667) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.46 years
male: 19.93 years
female: 21.02 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.98% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
25.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.53 years
male: 67.05 years
female: 72.14 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Religions:
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Languages:
Tongan, English

Literacy:
definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.9%
male: 98.8%
female: 99% (1996 est.)

Government Tonga

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands

Government type:
hereditary constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Nuku'alofa

Administrative divisions:
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence:
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday:
Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution:
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967

Legal system:
based on English law

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA
(since 3 January 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER
(since NA January 2001)
cabinet: cabinet consists of 16 members, 12 appointed by the monarch
for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the
Legislative Assembly including 2 each from the Nobles and Peoples
representatives serving three year terms
note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch,
the Cabinet, and two governors
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12
reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles
selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular
vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT
70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of
Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief
justice of the Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote
VEA, chairman]

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024
consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga

Flag description:
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner

Economy Tonga

Economy - overview:
Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow
export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and
vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up
two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high
proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. Tourism is the
second largest source of hard currency earnings following
remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and
remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade
deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the
private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is
committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a
reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social
services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in
inflation, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues
facing the government.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$244 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23%
industry: 13%
services: 64% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
33,910 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
13.3% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.3% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $39.9 million
expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9
million (FY99/00 est.)

Agriculture - products:
squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee,
ginger, black pepper; fish

Industries:
tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
8.6% (FY98/99)

Electricity - production:
24.79 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
23.06 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$27 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

Exports - partners:
Japan 37.1%, China 18.7%, US 17.7%, Taiwan 8.7%, New Zealand 7.4%
(2004)

Imports:
$86 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
New Zealand 37.1%, Fiji 24.3%, Australia 9.1%, China 8.9%, US 6.3%
(2004)

Debt - external:
$63.4 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)

Currency (code):
pa'anga (TOP)

Currency code:
TOP

Exchange rates:
pa'anga per US dollar - 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002),
2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Tonga

Telephones - main lines in use:
11,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
9,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications
Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is
accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted
authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone,
Internet, and television
domestic: fully automatic switched network
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios:
61,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (2004)

Televisions:
2,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.to

Internet hosts:
18,906 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
2,900 (2002)

Transportation Tonga

Highways:
total: 680 km
paved: 184 km
unpaved: 496 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Nuku'alofa

Merchant marine:
total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 136,977 GRT/200,751 DWT
by type: cargo 21, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 1, France 1, Greece 1, Norway 1, Romania 2,
United Kingdom 1) (2005)

Airports:
6 (2004 est.)

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

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

Military Tonga

Military branches:
Tonga Defense Services: Ground Forces (Royal Marines, Royal Guard),
Maritime Force (includes Air Wing)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Tonga

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Trinidad and Tobago

Introduction Trinidad and Tobago

Background:
The islands came under British control in the 19th century;
independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most
prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural
gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is
targeted for expansion and is growing.

Geography Trinidad and Tobago

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
362 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use:
arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2001)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and
raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

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

Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's
largest natural reservoir of asphalt

People Trinidad and Tobago

Population:
1,088,644 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.7% (male 115,594/female 109,665)
15-64 years: 71% (male 403,301/female 369,664)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 40,638/female 49,782) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.91 years
male: 30.46 years
female: 31.44 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.74% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
12.81 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-10.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.23 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.73 years
male: 65.6 years
female: 67.91 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups:
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%,
unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%,
Pentecostal 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%,
Muslim 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

Languages:
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Trinidad and Tobago

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Port-of-Spain

Administrative divisions:
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
corporations, and 1 ward
: regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
: city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando;
: borough corporations: Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas
: ward: Tobago

Independence:
31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution:
1 August 1976

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term; election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held
in 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the
leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - 43%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the
opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the House of
Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
to be held by October 2007)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
serving four-year terms

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court
of Justice; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the
Privy Council in London

Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH];
People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or
TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo
PANDAY]; Democratic Action Committee or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note -
only active in Tobago

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (868) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176
FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side

Economy Trinidad and Tobago

Economy - overview:
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas,
has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not
proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The
economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus.
Prospects for growth in 2004 are good as prices for oil,
petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas are expected to remain
high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support
expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping
with a rise in violent crime.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$11.48 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 47%
services: 50.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
590,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%,
construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10.4% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
21% (1992 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.25 billion
expenditures: $3.193 billion, including capital expenditures of
$117.3 million (2004 est.)

Public debt:
54.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
7.2% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
5.743 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.341 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
140,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

Natural gas - production:
25 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
13.76 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
589 billion cu m (1 January 2004)

Current account balance:
$1.548 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$6.671 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners:
US 67.1%, Jamaica 5.7%, France 3.5% (2004)

Imports:
$4.65 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals

Imports - partners:
US 23.9%, Venezuela 11.5%, Germany 11.2%, Brazil 10.7%, Spain 6.4%,
Italy 5.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.927 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.94 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$24 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code):
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code:
TTD

Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.299 (2004), 6.2951
(2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332 (2001), 6.2998 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use:
325,100 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
361,900 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (2004)

Televisions:
425,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tt

Internet hosts:
8,003 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
17 (2000)

Internet users:
138,000 (2002)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Highways:
total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.)

Pipelines:
condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,178 GRT/3,633 DWT
by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (United States 1)
registered in other countries: 4 (2005)

Airports:
6 (2004 est.)

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

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

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard
(includes Air Wing) (2004)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 293,094 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 203,531 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$66.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international:
Barbados will assert its claim before UNCLOS that the northern
limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela
extends into its waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to
challenge this boundary as it may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Tromelin Island

Introduction Tromelin Island

Background:
First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the
jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea
turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological
station.

Geography Tromelin Island

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
15 52 S, 54 25 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
3.7 km

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

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones;
wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

People Tromelin Island

Population:
uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2005 est.)

Government Tromelin Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Tromelin

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur
of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

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

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Tromelin Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Communications Tromelin Island

Communications - note:
important meteorological station

Transportation Tromelin Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2004 est.)

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

Military Tromelin Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Tromelin Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Mauritius

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background:
Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib
BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In
recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in
its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising
pressure for a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline:
1,148 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south

Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:
arable land: 17.86%
permanent crops: 13.74%
other: 68.4% (2001)

Irrigated land:
3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health
risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water
resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population:
10,074,951 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.3% (male 1,316,308/female 1,234,309)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 3,437,880/female 3,418,591)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 321,287/female 346,576) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.29 years
male: 26.78 years
female: 27.82 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.99% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
15.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
5.09 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.89 years
male: 73.2 years
female: 76.71 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,000 (2003 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
during the transmission season (typically April through November)
(2004)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%