Chapter XLI: Front Matter (41)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October
2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February
2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5
July 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election
last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister
and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to
the National Assembly
election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN
elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly -
NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by popular vote,
8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to
various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS
38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH];
Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian
Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] (in coalition with MSM);
Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (the governing
party); Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY];
Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
various labor unions

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US
mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-2450
telephone: [230] 202-4400
FAX: [230] 208-9534

Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Economy Mauritius

Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a
low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income
diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist
sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order
of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more
equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered
infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is
grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25%
of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on
expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic
information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted
more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India
and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has
reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector,
has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA).

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$15.73 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.681 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.9%
industry: 29.8%
services: 64.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
570,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%,
transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%,
finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
9.6% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
10% (2001 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (1987 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.377 billion
expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
67.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Industries:
food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing,
chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical
machinery, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.941 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 90.8%
hydro: 9.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.805 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
21,000 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:
$-342 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$1.949 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners:
UK 32.3%, France 20.7%, US 11.7%, Madagascar 6.2%, Italy 5.3% (2005)

Imports:
$2.507 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum
products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland 6.1%, China 6%,
Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.366 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.246 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$42 million (1997)

Currency (code):
Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Currency code:
MUR

Exchange rates:
Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004),
27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Mauritius

Telephones - main lines in use:
359,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
713,300 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine
cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)

Radios:
420,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
258,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mu

Internet hosts:
4,997 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
180,000 (2005)

Transportation Mauritius

Airports:
6 (2006)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 2,020 km
paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Port Louis

Military Mauritius

Military branches:
no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile
Force, National Coast Guard

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 313,271 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.04 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Mauritius

Disputes - international:
Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British
Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside
chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no right to
patriation in the UK; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs:
minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia;
small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant
offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering,
but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears
generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Mayotte

Introduction Mayotte

Background:
Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the
Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago
that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego
independence.

Geography Mayotte

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half
of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
12 50 S, 45 10 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
185.2 km

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

Climate:
tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern
monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)

Terrain:
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
cyclones during rainy season

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands

People Mayotte

Population:
201,234 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 46,512/female 46,067)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 56,899/female 48,274)
65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,756/female 1,726) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 17 years
male: 18 years
female: 16 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.77% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 66.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 54.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.76 years
male: 59.57 years
female: 64.02 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.79 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: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran

Ethnic groups:
NA

Religions:
Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

Languages:
Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by
35% of the population

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

Government Mayotte

Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte

Dependency status:
departmental collectivity of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Mamoudzou
geographic coordinates: 12 47 S, 45 14 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Independence:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI
(since 8 April 2004)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council
elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term;
next election to be held in 2010

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%,
PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP
9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1
note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last
held 24 September 2001 (next to be held September 2007); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also
elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last
held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of
vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR
1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement
or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR (UMP) [Mansour
KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for Democracy or
FRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar
SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA];
Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste)
[Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri
JEAN-BAPTISTE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description:
unofficial, local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte centered on
a white field, above which the name of the island appears in red
capital letters; the main elements of the coat of arms, flanked on
either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll with the motto RA
HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the national
flag of France

Economy Mayotte

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector,
including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not
self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food
requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development
of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance,
an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an
obstacle to the development of tourism.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$466.8 million (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,600 (2003 est.)

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

Labor force:
44,560 (2002)

Unemployment rate:
32.8% (2003)

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: $NA
expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(1991 est.)

Agriculture - products:
vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra

Industries:
newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
87.79 million kWh NA kWh

Exports:
$4.85 million f.o.b. (2004)

Exports - commodities:
ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee,
cinnamon

Exports - partners:
France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion (2004)

Imports:
$256.7 million f.o.b. (2004)

Imports - commodities:
food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 11% (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$208 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2004)

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mayotte

Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
48,100 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: small system administered by French Department
of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
3 (2001)

Televisions:
3,500 (1994)

Internet country code:
.yt

Internet hosts:
1 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Mayotte

Airports:
1 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 93 km
paved: 72 km
unpaved: 21 km

Ports and terminals:
Dzaoudzi

Military Mayotte

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French
forces stationed on the island

Transnational Issues Mayotte

Disputes - international:
claimed by Comoros

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Mexico

Introduction Mexico

Background:
The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under
Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early
in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw
Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over
half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery.
Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages,
underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable
income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the
largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states.
Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910
Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in
government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX
of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000
as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Geography Mexico

Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico,
between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
between Guatemala and the US

Geographic coordinates:
23 00 N, 102 00 W

Map references:
North America

Area:
total: 1,972,550 sq km
land: 1,923,040 sq km
water: 49,510 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 4,353 km
border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km

Coastline:
9,330 km

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

Climate:
varies from tropical to desert

Terrain:
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 12.66%
permanent crops: 1.28%
other: 86.06% (2005)

Irrigated land:
63,200 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive
earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific,
Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts

Environment - current issues:
scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban
migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in
north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme
southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in
urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification;
deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in
the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land
subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
note: the government considers the lack of clean water and
deforestation national security issues

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

Geography - note:
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of
the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in
Mexico

People Mexico

Population:
107,449,525 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.6% (male 16,770,957/female 16,086,172)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 33,071,809/female 35,316,281)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 2,814,707/female 3,389,599) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.3 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 26.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.16% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-4.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.41 years
male: 72.63 years
female: 78.33 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
160,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mexican(s)
adjective: Mexican

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly
Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

Languages:
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous
languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.2%
male: 94%
female: 90.5% (2003 est.)

Government Mexico

Country name:
conventional long form: United Mexican States
conventional short form: Mexico
local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
local short form: Mexico

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
name: Mexico (Distrito Federal)
geographic coordinates: 19 24 N, 99 09 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
Sunday in October
note: Mexico is divided into four time zones

Administrative divisions:
31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*
(distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California
Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima,
Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco,
Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca,
Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi,
Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave,
Yucatan, Zacatecas

Independence:
16 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Constitution:
5 February 1917

Legal system:
mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since
1 December 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
(since 1 December 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of
attorney general requires consent of the Senate
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year
term; election last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012)
election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote
- Felipe CALDERON (PAN) 35.89%, Andres Manuel Lopez OBRADOR (PRD)
35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO (PRI) 22.26%, other 6.54%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the
Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 are elected by popular
vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 are allocated on the basis of
each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of Deputies or
Camara Federal de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are directly
elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; remaining 200
members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote,
also for three-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next
to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006
(next to be held 5 July 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 29, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 2, PNA 1; Chamber
of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAN
206, PRD 127, PRI 103, PVEM 18, CD 17, PT 16, other 13; note -
election results pending certification

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia Nacional
(justices or ministros are appointed by the president with consent
of the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
Convergence for Democracy or CD [Dante DELGADO Ranauro];
Institutional Revolutionary Party (Institutional Revolutionary
Party) or PRI [leader NA]; Mexican Green Ecological Party or PVEM
[Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National Action Party (Partido
Accion Nacional) or PAN [Manuel ESPINO Barrientos]; New Alliance
Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Miguel Angel JIMENEZ Godines];
Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion
Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Workers Party or PT
[Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX;
Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of
Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National Chambers of
Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business
Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and
Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation Industries
or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; National Union
of Workers or UNT; Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers or
CROM; Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants or CROC;
Roman Catholic Church

International organization participation:
APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CDB, CE (observer), CSN
(observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-15, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAFTA, NAM
(observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto DE ICAZA Gonzalez
chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Nogales (Arizona), Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio,
San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico
(California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle
Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas
City (Missouri), Laredo (Texas), Las Vegas, McAllen (Texas), Midland
(Texas), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon),
Presidio (Texas), Raleigh, Saint Paul (Minnesota), Salt Lake City,
San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson, Yuma
(Arizona)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr.
embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico,
Distrito Federal
mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000
telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000
FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980
consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its
beak) is centered in the white band

Economy Mexico

Economy - overview:
Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion
dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry
and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector.
Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports,
railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas
distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of
the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the
US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994.
Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries
including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade
Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade
agreements. The FOX administration is cognizant of the need to
upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and
allow private investment in the energy sector, but has been unable
to win the support of the opposition-led Congress. The next
government that takes office in December 2006 will confront the same
challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico's
international competitiveness, and reducing poverty.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.064 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$693 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 25.9%
services: 70.2% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
43.4 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 35.6% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
54.6 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $181 billion
expenditures: $184 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005)

Public debt:
17.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit,
tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Industries:
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum,
mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables,
tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
1.9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
209.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 78.7%
hydro: 14.2%
nuclear: 4.2%
other: 2.9% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
193.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
1.07 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
390.2 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
3.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.752 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.863 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
205,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:
33.31 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
47.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
55.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
7.85 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
424.3 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$-5.708 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$213.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits,
vegetables, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners:
US 85.7%, Canada 2%, Spain 1.4% (2005)

Imports:
$223.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery,
electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor
vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

Imports - partners:
US 53.4%, China 8%, Japan 5.9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$74.1 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$137.2 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.166 billion (1995)

Currency (code):
Mexican peso (MXN)

Currency code:
MXN

Exchange rates:
Mexican pesos per US dollar - 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004), 10.789
(2003), 9.656 (2002), 9.342 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mexico

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
47.462 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: low telephone density with about 18 main lines
per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening to
competition in January 1997 improved prospects for development, but
Telmex remains dominant
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
but the population is poorly served; mobile subscribers far
outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120
earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
international: country code - 52; satellite earth stations - 32
Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South
America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing
domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth
stations; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk
connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable
with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco,
Spain, and Italy (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 850, FM 545, shortwave 15 (2003)

Radios:
31 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
236 (plus repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
25.6 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.mx

Internet hosts:
3,426,680 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
51 (2000)

Internet users:
18,622,500 (2005)

Transportation Mexico

Airports:
1,839 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 228
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 82
914 to 1,523 m: 77
under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,611
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 460
under 914 m: 1,081 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km;
oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 17,562 km
standard gauge: 17,562 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 349,038 km
paved: 116,928 km (including 6,979 km of expressways)
unpaved: 232,110 km (2003)

Waterways:
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 751,607 GRT/1,129,234 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas
4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 5 (Denmark 2, France 1, Norway 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Belize 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 1,
Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Altamira, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz, Tampico,
Topolobampo, Veracruz

Military Mexico

Military branches:
Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional,
Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana,
FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican
Navy (Armada de Mexico, ARM, includes Naval Air Force (FAN) and
Marines) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service
obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary
enlistment (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 24,488,008
females age 18-49: 26,128,046 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 19,058,337
females age 18-49: 21,966,796 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,063,233
females age 18-49: 1,043,816 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$6.07 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Mexico

Disputes - international:
prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
infrastructure in the border region have strained water-sharing
arrangements with the US; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
from illegally crossing the border with Mexico

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 12,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994
in eastern Chiapas Region) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Mexico is a source, transit, and destination
country for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor;
while the vast majority of victims are Central Americans trafficked
along Mexico's southern border, other source regions include South
America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia; women and
children are trafficked from rural regions to urban centers and
tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through fraudulent
offers of employment or through threats of physical violence; the
Mexican trafficking problem is often conflated with alien smuggling,
and frequently the same criminal networks are involved; pervasive
corruption among state and local law enforcement often impedes
investigations
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mexico remains on the Tier 2 Watch
List for the third consecutive year based on future commitments to
undertake additional efforts in prosecution, protection, and
prevention of trafficking in persons, and the failure of the
government to provide critical law enforcement data

Illicit drugs:
major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2004
amounted to 3,500 hectares, but opium cultivation stayed within the
range - between 3,500 and 5,500 hectares - observed in nine of the
last 12 years; potential production of 9 metric tons of pure heroin,
or 23 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of
Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation
decreased 23% to 5,800 hectares in 2004 after decade-high
cultivation peak in 2003; potential production of 10,400 metric tons
of marijuana in 2004; government conducts the largest independent
illicit-crop eradication program in the world; major supplier of
heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine
to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for
US-bound cocaine from South America, accounting for about 90% of
estimated annual cocaine movement to the US; major drug syndicates
control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country;
producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering
center

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Micronesia, Federated States of

Introduction Micronesia, Federated States of

Background:
In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory
under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986
independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with
the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns
include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on
US aid.

Geography Micronesia, Federated States of

Location:
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
6 55 N, 158 15 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 702 sq km
land: 702 sq km
water: 0 sq km (fresh water only)
note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands,
and Kosrae (Kosaie)

Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
6,112 km

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

Climate:
tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern
islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with
occasionally severe damage

Terrain:
islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low,
coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m

Natural resources:
forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate

Land use:
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 45.71%
other: 48.58% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)

Environment - current issues:
overfishing, climate change, pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
four major island groups totaling 607 islands

People Micronesia, Federated States of

Population:
108,004 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.6% (male 20,116/female 19,391)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 32,620/female 32,659)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,413/female 1,805) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.9 years
male: 20.5 years
female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.11% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-21.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
NA

Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.05 years
male: 68.24 years
female: 71.95 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.16 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: Micronesian(s)
adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese

Ethnic groups:
nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups

Religions:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other 3%

Languages:
English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese,
Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 91%
female: 88% (1980 est.)

Government Micronesia, Federated States of

Country name:
conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia
conventional short form: none
local long form: Federated States of Micronesia
local short form: none
former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and
Yap Districts
abbreviation: FSM

Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and
the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004

Capital:
name: Palikir
geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 08 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap

Independence:
3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)

Constitution:
10 May 1979

Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May 2003);
Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May
2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the
eight executive departments
elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from
among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for
a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next to be held May
2007); note - a proposed constitutional amendment to establish
popular elections for president and vice president failed
election results: Joseph J. URUSEMAL elected president; percent of
Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent
of Congress vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 - one elected from each state to
serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts
delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by
popular vote)
elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 4 March 2003
(next to be held March 2007); elections for two-year term seats last
held 8 March 2005 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
no formal parties

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC,
ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU
chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383
FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391
consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Suzanne K. HALE
embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia
mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, 96941
telephone: [691] 320-2187
FAX: [691] 320-2186

Flag description:
light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars
are arranged in a diamond pattern

Economy Micronesia, Federated States of

Economy - overview:
Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and
fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting,
except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist
industry exists, but the remote location, a lack of adequate
facilities, and limited air connections hinder development. The
Amended Compact of Free Association with the US guarantees the
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) millions of dollars in annual
aid through 2023, and establishes a Trust Fund into which the US and
the FSM make annual contributions in order to provide annual payouts
to the FSM in perpetuity after 2023. The country's medium-term
economic outlook appears fragile due not only to the reduction in US
assistance but also to the slow growth of the private sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$277 million; note - supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps
$100 million annually (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$232 million

GDP - real growth rate:
0.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 28.9%
industry: 15.2%
services: 55.9% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
37,410

Labor force - by occupation:
note: 0.9% two-thirds are government employees, 34.4%, 64.7%

Unemployment rate:
22% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
26.7%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $127.3 million ($69 million less grants)
expenditures: $144.2 million; including capital expenditures of
$17.9 million $NA (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:
black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava
(tapioca), betel nuts, sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens; fish

Industries:
tourism, construction; fish processing, specialized aquaculture;
craft items from shell, wood, and pearls

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
192 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
NA

Electricity - consumption:
178.6 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Current account balance:
$-34.3 million

Exports:
$14 million (f.o.b.) (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish, garments, bananas, black pepper

Exports - partners:
Japan, US, Guam (2004)

Imports:
$132.7 million f.o.b. (2004)

Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages

Imports - partners:
US, Japan, Hong Kong (2004)

Debt - external:
$60.8 million (FY05 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$86.3 million under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the
US pledged $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001;
the level of aid has been subsequently reduced

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Micronesia, Federated States of

Telephones - main lines in use:
12,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
14,100 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground
stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service
available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
9,400 (1996)

Television broadcast stations:
3; note - cable TV also available (2004)

Televisions:
2,800 (1999)

Internet country code:
.fm

Internet hosts:
550 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
14,000 (2005)

Transportation Micronesia, Federated States of

Airports:
6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 240 km
paved: 42 km
unpaved: 198 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,423 GRT/1,551 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Tomil Harbor

Military Micronesia, Federated States of

Military branches:
no ministry of defense and no standing armed forces; the
paramilitary Maritime Wing, a small maritime law enforcement unit,
is responsible to the Division of Maritime Surveillance within the
Office of the Attorney General (2003)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 23,816 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,914 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,305 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Micronesia, Federated States of

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Moldova

Introduction Moldova

Background:
Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet
Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the
USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory
east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority
population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a
"Transnistria" republic. The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova
became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its
president in 2001.

Geography Moldova

Location:
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 33,843 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km
water: 472 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain:
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources:
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 54.52%
permanent crops: 8.81%
other: 36.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:
3,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
landslides (57 cases in 1998)

Environment - current issues:
heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides
such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil
erosion from poor farming methods

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and
minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

People Moldova

Population:
4,466,706 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20% (male 455,673/female 438,934)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 1,498,078/female 1,613,489)
65 years and over: 10.3% (male 170,456/female 290,076) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 32.3 years
male: 30.3 years
female: 34.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.28% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 38.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 41.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.65 years
male: 61.61 years
female: 69.88 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 300 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups:
Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%,
Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Religions:
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

Languages:
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language),
Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.6%
female: 98.7% (2003 est.)

Government Moldova

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form: Moldova
local long form: Republica Moldova
local short form: Moldova
former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic; Moldovan Soviet
Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Chisinau (Kishinev)
geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 50 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities
(municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala
autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir,
Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari,
Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova,
Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti,
Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului

Independence:
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

Constitution:
new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994;
replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

Legal system:
based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of
legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts
many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) documents

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April
2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10
October 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next
to be held in 2009); note - prime minister designated by the
president, upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from
designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of
confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and
entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet
received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president;
parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vasile
TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence
- 75 of 101

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and
electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic
Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party -
PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for
constitutional judicature)

Political parties and leaders:
Braghis Faction [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Christian Democratic People's
Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of
Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Democratic
Moldova Bloc (comprised of the AMN, Democratic Party, and PSL);
Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN
[Serafim URECHEANU]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW,
OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambasador Michael D. KIRBY
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300
FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044

Flag description:
same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a
Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons
carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its
right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast
is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox
head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

Economy Moldova

Economy - overview:
Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite
recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable
climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a
result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring
fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost
all of its energy supplies. Energy shortages contributed to sharp
production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
December 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort after
independence, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed
prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises,
backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed
interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the
World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The
economy returned to positive growth in 2000, and has remained at or
above 6% every year since. Further reforms will come slowly because
of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy
remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather,
and the skepticism of foreign investors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.41 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.416 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.3%
industry: 23.3%
services: 55.5% (2005 est.)