Chapter XXXIII: Front Matter (33)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; National Democratic
Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT]; People's National Party or PNP
[Percival James PATTERSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
embassy: Mutual Life Building, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001

Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

Economy Jamaica

Economy - overview:
The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now
account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its
foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina. The
global economic slowdown, particularly after the terrorist attacks
in the US on 11 September 2001, stunted economic growth; the economy
rebounded moderately in 2003-04, with brisk tourist seasons. But the
economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates,
increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable
merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and
underemployment, and a growing stock of internal debt - the result
of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most
notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s. The ratio of debt to
GDP is 135%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to
remain in the double digits. Uncertain economic conditions have led
to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the
drug trade. In 2004, the government faced the difficult prospect of
having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt
payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime
problem that is hampering economic growth. Attempts at deficit
control were derailed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, which
required substantial government spending to repair the damage.
Despite the hurricane, tourism looks set to enjoy solid growth for
the foreseeable future.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.18 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$9.127 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,500 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.9%
industry: 33.7%
services: 61.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
1.2 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.3%
industry: 16.6%
services: 64.1% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
11.5% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
19.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.9 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
32.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $3.21 billion; including capital expenditures of
$180.4 million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
128.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables;
poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks

Industries:
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum,
cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.717 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 96.8%
hydro: 1.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
2.974 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
69,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

Current account balance:
$-974 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$1.608 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages,
chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China 7%,
Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005)

Imports:
$4.093 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and
accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment,
construction materials

Imports - partners:
US 41.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, Venezuela 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.17 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$7.162 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$18.5 million; note - US aid only (2004)

Currency (code):
Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Currency code:
JMD

Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004),
57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Jamaica

Telephones - main lines in use:
342,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.7 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-876; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
1.215 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (1997)

Televisions:
460,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.jm

Internet hosts:
1,402 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)

Internet users:
1.067 million (2005)

Transportation Jamaica

Airports:
35 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Railways:
total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation
had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer
operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and
used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)

Roadways:
total: 18,700 km
paved: 13,009 km
unpaved: 5,610 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 124,323 GRT/184,247 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
off 2
foreign-owned: 10 (Germany 3, Greece 6, Italy 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point

Military Jamaica

Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits
may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 592,018
females age 18-49: 616,500 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 478,761
females age 18-49: 504,541 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 27,923
females age 18-49: 27,889 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$31.17 million (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.4% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Jamaica

Disputes - international:
none

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Jamaica is a source country for men, women, and
children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and
labor; information suggests that women from the Dominican Republic
and Eastern Europe are also trafficked to Jamaica for sexual
exploitation; women and children are trafficked internally from
rural to urban and tourist areas for sexual exploitation; there may
also be trafficking for domestic servitude and forced labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Jamaica is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List based on the determination that it is making significant
efforts to undertake future action

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America
and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an
active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major
concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Jan Mayen

Introduction Jan Mayen

Background:
This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling
captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are
inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and
trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
northernmost active volcano on earth.

Geography Jan Mayen

Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland

Geographic coordinates:
71 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 377 sq km
land: 377 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
124.1 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

People Jan Mayen

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2006 est.)

Government Jan Mayen

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo
through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
Defense Communication Service

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

Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used

Economy Jan Mayen

Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the
island.

Communications Jan Mayen

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000)

Transportation Jan Mayen

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Jan Mayen

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues Jan Mayen

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Japan

Introduction Japan

Background:
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a
long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure
its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy
stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the
Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and
began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late
19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that
was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied
Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32
Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale
invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering
America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East
and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan
recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US.
While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity,
actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats,
and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown
starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented
growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia
and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Geography Japan

Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
29,751 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international
straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish

Land use:
arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)

Irrigated land:
25,920 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
resources in Asia and elsewhere

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia

People Japan

Population:
127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.2% (male 9,309,524/female 8,849,476)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 42,158,122/female 41,611,754)
65 years and over: 20% (male 10,762,585/female 14,772,150) (2006
est.)

Median age:
total: 42.9 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 44.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.02% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
9.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.25 years
male: 77.96 years
female: 84.7 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
500 (2003 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian
182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914)
note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan
in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil
(2004)

Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Languages:
Japanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002)

Government Japan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government

Capital:
name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 139 46 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Independence:
660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)

National holiday:
Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)

Constitution:
3 May 1947

Legal system:
modeled after European civil law system with English-American
influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 September
2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires
that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following
legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of
majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime
minister; monarch is hereditary
election results: ABE was elected prime minister with 339 of 476
votes cast in the House of Representatives and 136 of 240 votes cast
in the House of Councilors.

Legislative branch:
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or
Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half
reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat
constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House
of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for
four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by
proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)
elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July 2004 (next to be
held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 11
September 2005 (next election by September 2009)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5,
others 7; distribution of seats as of January 2006 - LDP 112, DPJ
83, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 8
: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 47.8%,
DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito
31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24; distribution of seats as of January
2006 - LDP 294, DPJ 112, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 27 (2006)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after
designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the
cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan Communist
Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihoro OTA]; Liberal Democratic
Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho
FUKUSHIMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-5,
G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI
(observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004
telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya

Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in
the center

Economy Japan

Economy - overview:
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of
high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of
GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of
second most technologically powerful economy in the world after the
US and the third-largest economy in the world after the US and
China, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. One
notable characteristic of the economy is how manufacturers,
suppliers, and distributors work together in closely-knit groups
called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
force. Both features are now eroding. Japan's industrial sector is
heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The tiny
agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop
yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in
rice, Japan must import about 60% of its food on a caloric basis.
Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and
accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades,
overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in
the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s.
Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely
because of the after effects of overinvestment during the late 1980s
and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
excesses from the stock and real estate markets and to force a
restructuring of the economy. From 2000 to 2003, government efforts
to revive economic growth met with little success and were further
hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In
2004 and 2005, growth improved and the lingering fears of deflation
in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's huge government
debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the population are
two major long-run problems. Some fear that a rise in taxes could
endanger the current economic recovery. Internal conflict over the
proper way to reform the financial system will continue as Japan
Post's banking, insurance, and delivery services undergo
privatization between 2007 and 2017.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.025 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.664 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$31,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 25.8%
services: 72.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
66.4 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 27.8%
services: 67.7% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
4.4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.9 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.429 trillion
expenditures: $1.775 trillion; including capital expenditures
(public works only) of about $71 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
158% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs; fish

Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of
motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.017 trillion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 60%
hydro: 8.4%
nuclear: 29.8%
other: 1.8% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
946.3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
120,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
5.578 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
93,360 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
5.449 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
29.29 million bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$165.6 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$550.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical
machinery, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 22.9%, China 13.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.3%, Hong Kong
6.1% (2005)

Imports:
$451.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
raw materials (2001)

Imports - partners:
China 21%, US 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4.9%, Australia 4.7%,
South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$835.5 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.545 trillion (31 December 2004)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $8.9 billion (2004)

Currency (code):
yen (JPY)

Currency code:
JPY

Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003),
125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Japan

Telephones - main lines in use:
58.78 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
94.745 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: country code - 81; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US
(via Guam) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21
(2001)

Radios:
120.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
211 plus 7,341 repeaters
note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV
cable services (1999)

Televisions:
86.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.jp

Internet hosts:
28,321,846 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
73 (2000)

Internet users:
86.3 million (2005)

Transportation Japan

Airports:
175 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 145
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 30 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Heliports:
15 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 8,015 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 23,556 km
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,264 km
1.067-m gauge (13,280 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 1.183 million km
paved: 925,000 km (including 6,946 km of expressways)
unpaved: 258,000 km (2003)

Waterways:
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 683 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,415,892 GRT/11,765,038 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 134, cargo 30, chemical tanker 20, container
11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 149, petroleum
tanker 156, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle
carrier 56
registered in other countries: 2,459 (Australia 1, Bahamas 51,
Belize 2, Burma 4, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 1, China 3, Cyprus 17,
French Southern and Antarctic Lands 4, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 67,
Indonesia 3, Isle of Man 4, South Korea 1, Liberia 102, Malaysia 4,
Malta 1, Marshall Islands 7, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2007,
Philippines 26, Portugal 9, Singapore 100, Sweden 2, Thailand 4,
Vanuatu 28, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya, Osaka,
Tokyo, Yohohama

Military Japan

Military branches:
Japanese Defense Agency (JDA): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou
Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai, MSDF),
Air Self-Defense Force (Nihon Koku-Jieitai, ASDF) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 27,003,112
females age 18-49: 26,153,482 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 22,234,663
females age 18-49: 21,494,947 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 683,147
females age 18-49: 650,157 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$44.31 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Japan

Disputes - international:
the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and
Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern
Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied
by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed
by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace
treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South
Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South
Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to
the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and
Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East
China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Jersey

Introduction Jersey

Background:
Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of
the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and
England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German
troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency, but is
not part of the UK.

Geography Jersey

Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:
49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
70 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

People Jersey

Population:
91,084 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,139/female 7,552)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,407/female 30,691)
65 years and over: 15.7% (male 6,299/female 7,996) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 41.4 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.28% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
9.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
9.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.38 years
male: 76.89 years
female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups:
Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%,
Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Languages:
English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)

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

Government Jersey

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

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Saint Helier
geographic coordinates: 49 12 N, 2 07 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency)

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

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

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

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14
June 2006); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators
(elected for six-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes
(elected for three-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for three-year
terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and three non-voting
members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the
Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA); note - on 23 November
2005, 29 deputies, independents, were elected
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

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

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

Flag description:
white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the
flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
shield with the three lions of England in yellow

Economy Jersey

Economy - overview:
Jersey's economy is based on international financial services,
agriculture, and tourism. In 1996, the finance sector accounted for
about 60% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes,
and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to
the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to
the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts for 24% of GDP. In
recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate
in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has
developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All
raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a
large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties
make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come close to
those of the UK.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$40,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)

Labor force:
52,790 (2004)

Unemployment rate:
0.9% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.3% (2004)

Budget:
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million; including capital expenditures of $98
million (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries:
tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - consumption:
630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:
UK (2004)

Imports:
$NA

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

Imports - partners:
UK (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$0

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

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Jersey

Telephones - main lines in use:
73,900 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
83,900 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.je

Internet hosts:
1,240 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
27,000 (2005)

Transportation Jersey

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 577 km

Ports and terminals:
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Military Jersey

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Jersey

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Jordan

Introduction Jordan

Background:
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire,
the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain
separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine
in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it
adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler
was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he successfully
navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and
UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian
population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he
reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political
liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King
ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the throne following
his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated
his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program.
Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to
participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a
two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in
the summer of 2003. The prime minister appointed in November 2005
stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving
conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.

Geography Jordan

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 92,300 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km
water: 329 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Coastline:
26 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
arable land: 3.32%
permanent crops: 1.18%
other: 95.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
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, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied
West Bank

People Jordan

Population:
5,906,760 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 23 years
male: 23.7 years
female: 22.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.49% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
21.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
2.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.4 years
male: 75.9 years
female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Government Jordan

Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form: Al Urdun
former: Transjordan

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
name: Amman
geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last
Friday in September

Administrative divisions:
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution:
1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1974,
1976, 1984

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince
HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line
to inherit the throne
head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24
November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November
2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the
Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55
seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six
seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
electoral panel if no women are elected
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next
to be held in 2007)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party -
independents and other 92, IAF 18; note - one of the six quota seats
was given to a female IAF candidate
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001
elections until 2003

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)

Political parties and leaders:
al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR,
president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN, secretary
general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary
general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR, secretary
general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF
[Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic Center Party
[Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party;
Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian
Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir
HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party;
Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary general];
Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA,
secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH,
secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH,
secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis
HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's
Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd)
[Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian
Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH,
secretary general]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI,
secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi
MAJALI, secretary general]; National Popular Democratic Movement
[Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz
al-ZUBI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman];
Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David M. HALE
embassy: Abdoun, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box
5, APO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000
FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the
Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and
green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle
on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and
bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is
based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

Economy Jordan

Economy - overview:
Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water
and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since
assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic
reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in
the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with
privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free
trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with
the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and
have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most
of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan
more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian
Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales
tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on
exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly
while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges
facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing
the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote
job creation.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.85 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.51 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,700 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 28.7%
services: 68% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
1.46 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 12.5%
services: 82.5% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2004
est.)

Population below poverty line:
30% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.4 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of
$1.092 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
79.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats,
poultry

Industries:
textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum
refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing,
tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
7.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
7.517 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.4%
hydro: 0.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
7.959 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
972 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
40 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
103,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
100,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
445,000 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
390 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
390 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-1.613 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$4.226 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners:
US 29.4%, Iraq 15.6%, India 8.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.9% (2005)

Imports:
$8.681 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment,
manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South Korea
4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.463 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$8.528 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $500 million (2004 est.)

Currency (code):
Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:
JOD

Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004), 0.709
(2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Jordan

Telephones - main lines in use:
617,300 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,594,500 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service has improved recently with increased
use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the
telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to
pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals;
fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link
with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable
FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL;
international links total about 4,000

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios:
1.66 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
500,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.jo

Internet hosts:
3,441 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
629,500 (2005)

Transportation Jordan

Airports:
17 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 426 km; oil 49 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 7,364 km
paved: 7,364 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6,
petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11)
registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Al 'Aqabah

Military Jordan

Military branches:
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal
Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public
Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but
comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age
18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are
required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can
volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,573,995
females age 17-49: 1,346,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,348,076
females age 17-49: 1,158,011 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 60,625
females age 17-49: 58,218 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.4 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
11.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Jordan

Disputes - international:
2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,827,877 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA))
IDPs: 168,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Kazakhstan

Introduction Kazakhstan

Background:
Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as
a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many
of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
and other foreign powers.

Geography Kazakhstan

Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe

Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now
split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea
(1,894 km)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Terrain:
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

Natural resources:
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 8.28%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:
35,560 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty