Chapter XLIII: Front Matter (43)

Political parties and leaders:
Action Party or PA [Muhammad EL IDRISSI]; Alliance of Liberties or
ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; Annahj Addimocrati or Annahj [Abdellah EL HARIF];
Avant Garde Social Democratic Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN];
Citizen Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]; Citizen's Initiatives
for Development [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Constitutional Union or UC
[Mohamed ABIED (interim)]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI
[Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud
ARCHANE]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI];
Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development
Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of Democratic Forces or FFD
[Thami EL KHYARI]; Istiqlal Party (Independence Party) or PI [Abbas
El FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Saad Eddine
OTHMANI]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]; National
Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]; National Ittihadi
Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]; National Popular
Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents
or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP
[Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Parti Al Ahd or Al Ahd [Najib EL OUAZZANI,
chairman]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI];
Party of Renewal and Equity or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Party of the
Unified Socialist Left or GSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]; Popular
Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Reform and Development Party or
PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen
MADIH]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Mohammed
El-YAZGHI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; General
Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan
Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union
of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or
UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOCI,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR
chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979
FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas T. RILEY
embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718
telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65
FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61
consulate(s) general: Casablanca

Flag description:
red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as
Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green
are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is
more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf;
design dates to 1912

Economy Morocco

Economy - overview:
Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the
country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to
reduce unemployment that nears 20% in urban areas. Poverty has
actually increased due to the volatile nature of GDP, Morocco's
continued dependence on foreign energy, and its inability to promote
the growth of small and medium size enterprises. Despite structural
adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the
Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account
transactions and Morocco's financial sector is rudimentary. Moroccan
authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs is
key to domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan
authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment
and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US and selling
government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the
largest state-owned bank. The Free Trade agreement went into effect
in January 2006. In 2005, GDP growth slipped to 1.2% and the budget
deficit rose sharply - to 7.5% of GDP - because of substantial
increases in wages and oil subsidies. Long-term challenges include
preparing the economy for freer trade with the US and European
Union, improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth,
and raising living standards, which the government hopes to achieve
by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in
textiles.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$135.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$51.94 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 35.7%
services: 42.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
11.19 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 15%
services: 45% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
11% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
19% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 30.9% (1998-99)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $12.94 billion
expenditures: $16.77 billion; including capital expenditures of
$2.19 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
72% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock

Industries:
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather
goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
4% NA%

Electricity - production:
17.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 95.4%
hydro: 4.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
17.58 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
1.45 billion kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
158,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
147,800 bbl/day NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
100 million bbl (2005 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - exports:
NA cu m

Natural gas - imports:
NA cu m

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

Current account balance:
$1.255 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$9.472 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals,
fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits,
vegetables

Exports - partners:
France 30.3%, Spain 18%, UK 6.2%, Italy 5.2%, India 4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$18.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment,
wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics

Imports - partners:
France 18.2%, Spain 11%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, Russia 6.8%, Italy
6.1%, China 5.2%, Germany 4.7% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$16.47 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$15.61 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $218 million (2002)

Currency (code):
Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code:
MAD

Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.574
(2003), 11.021 (2002), 11.303 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Morocco

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,341,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.393 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system with all important capabilities;
however, density is low with only 4 main lines available for each
100 persons
domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and
microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;
principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national
network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural
service employs microwave radio relay
international: country code - 212; 7 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in
Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and
Tunisia (1998)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998)

Radios:
6.64 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ma

Internet hosts:
3,218 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
4.6 million (2005)

Transportation Morocco

Airports:
60 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 26
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 715 km; oil 285 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 57,694 km
paved: 32,551 km (including 417 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,143 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 382,781 GRT/285,435 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 9, passenger/cargo
13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 5 (France 1, Germany 2, Switzerland 1, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Agadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier

Military Morocco

Military branches:
Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan
Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal Moroccan
Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,908,864
females age 18-49: 7,882,879 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,484,787
females age 18-49: 6,675,729 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 353,377
females age 18-49: 341,677 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.31 billion (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Morocco

Disputes - international:
claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains
unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since
September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and
parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; Morocco
protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta,
Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de
Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; discussions
have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation setting
limits on exploration and refugee interdiction since Morocco's 2002
rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from
the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching
areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed
to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America
destined for Western Europe

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Mozambique

Introduction Mozambique

Background:
Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with
independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic
dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil
war hindered the country's development. The ruling Front for the
Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally abandoned Marxism
in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for
multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated
peace agreement between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National
Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In December
2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim CHISSANO
stepped down after 18 years in office. His newly elected successor,
Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, has promised to continue the sound economic
policies that have encouraged foreign investment.

Geography Mozambique

Location:
Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between
South Africa and Tanzania

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,571 km
border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland
105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km

Coastline:
2,470 km

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

Climate:
tropical to subtropical

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in
northwest, mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Natural resources:
coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Land use:
arable land: 5.43%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 94.28% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,180 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and
southern provinces

Environment - current issues:
a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have
resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and
coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences;
desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant
poaching for ivory is a problem

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

Geography - note:
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part
of the country

People Mozambique

Population:
19,686,505
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997
Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2006
est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.7% (male 4,229,802/female 4,177,235)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 5,207,149/female 5,519,291)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 230,616/female 322,412) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.38% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 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: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 129.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 134.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 124.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.82 years
male: 39.53 years
female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
12.2% (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
110,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican

Ethnic groups:
African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others),
Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Religions:
Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%,
none 23.1% (1997 census)

Languages:
Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken
by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena
6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign
languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8%
male: 63.5%
female: 32.7% (2003 est.)

Government Mozambique

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique
local long form: Republica de Mocambique
local short form: Mocambique
former: Portuguese East Africa

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Maputo
geographic coordinates: 25 58 S, 32 35 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*;
Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*,
Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Independence:
25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Constitution:
30 November 1990

Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2 February 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO (since 17 February
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 1-2 December 2004
(next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Armando GUEBUZA elected president; percent of vote
- Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 31.7%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on a secret
ballot to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held December
2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO
29.7%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of its professional
judges are appointed by the president and some are elected by the
Assembly); other courts include an Administrative Court, customs
courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courts
note: although the constitution provides for a separate
Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence
the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases

Political parties and leaders:
Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de
Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, president];
Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional
Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or RENAMO-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA,
president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia)
or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa,
chairman]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e
Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos
Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]; Human Rights and
Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia
FRANCO, secretary general]

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone: [258] (1) 492797
FAX: [258] (1) 490448

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with
a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is
edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed
star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an
open white book

Economy Mozambique

Economy - overview:
At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's poorest
countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal civil war from
1977-92 exacerbated the situation. In 1987, the government embarked
on a series of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the
economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance and with
political stability since the multi-party elections in 1994, have
led to dramatic improvements in the country's growth rate. Inflation
was reduced to single digits during the late 1990s although it
returned to double digits in 2000-03. Fiscal reforms, including the
introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the customs service,
have improved the government's revenue collection abilities. In
spite of these gains, Mozambique remains dependent upon foreign
assistance for much of its annual budget, and the majority of the
population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence agriculture
continues to employ the vast majority of the country's work force. A
substantial trade imbalance persists although the opening of the
Mozal aluminum smelter, the country's largest foreign investment
project to date, has increased export earnings. In late 2005, and
after years of negotiations, the government signed an agreement to
gain Portugal's majority share of the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity
(HCB) company, a dam that was not transferred to Mozambique at
independence because of the ensuing civil war and unpaid debts. More
power is needed for additional investment projects in titanium
extraction and processing and garment manufacturing that could
further close the import/export gap. Mozambique's once substantial
foreign debt has been reduced through forgiveness and rescheduling
under the IMF's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced
HIPC initiatives, and is now at a manageable level.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.18 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.727 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26.2%
industry: 34.8%
services: 39% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
9.2 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 81%
industry: 6%
services: 13% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
21% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
39.6 (1996-97)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
29.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.031 billion
expenditures: $1.93 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
21% of GDP

Agriculture - products:
cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn,
coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers;
beef, poultry

Industries:
food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum,
petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
3.4% (2000)

Electricity - production:
15.14 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
10.46 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
9.5 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
5.875 billion kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
11,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
60 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:
127.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-639 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$1.69 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk
electricity

Exports - partners:
Belgium 25.5%, South Africa 12.2%, Spain 11.6%, Italy 11.6%,
Germany 7.7% (2005)

Imports:
$2.041 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products,
foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
South Africa 36.3%, Australia 12.8%, India 5.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.051 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$5.456 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$632.8 million (2001)

Currency (code):
metical (MZM)

Currency code:
MZM

Exchange rates:
meticais per US dollar - 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004), 23,782
(2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mozambique

Telephones - main lines in use:
69,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.22 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system but not available generally
(extremely low density with less than 1 main line per 100 persons)
domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk
connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)

Radios:
730,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)

Televisions:
67,600 (2000)

Internet country code:
.mz

Internet hosts:
6,985 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2002)

Internet users:
138,000 (2005)

Transportation Mozambique

Airports:
158 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 87 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 918 km; refined products 294 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1999)

Waterways:
460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa
Lake) (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
by type: cargo 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Beira, Maputo, Nacala

Military Mozambique

Military branches:
Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Mozambique Army, Mozambique
Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de
Mocambique, FAM) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,793,373 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,751,223 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 185,314 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$78.03 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Mozambique

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin,
and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and
South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption)
and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor
regulatory capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money
laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial
infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering
center

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Namibia

Introduction Namibia

Background:
South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during
World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War
II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war
of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was
not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in
accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won
its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since.
Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a
landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during
its first 14 years of self rule.

Geography Namibia

Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola
and South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 17 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
967 km, Zambia 233 km

Coastline:
1,572 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Terrain:
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in
east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc,
salt, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99% (2005)

Irrigated land:
80 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
prolonged periods of drought

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification;
wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas

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

Geography - note:
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the
environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

People Namibia

Population:
2,044,147
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 393,878/female 387,147)
15-64 years: 58.1% (male 596,557/female 591,350)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 34,245/female 40,970) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 20 years
male: 19.8 years
female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.59% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 48.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 51.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 44.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.39 years
male: 44.46 years
female: 42.29 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
21.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
210,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
16,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian

Ethnic groups:
black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9%
to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups includes Herero 7%,
Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Religions:
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs
10% to 20%

Languages:
English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the
population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
indigenous languages (Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84%
male: 84.4%
female: 83.7% (2003 est.)

Government Namibia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia
local long form: Republic of Namibia
local short form: Namibia
former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Windhoek
geographic coordinates: 22 34 S, 17 06 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
first Sunday in April

Administrative divisions:
13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene,
Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa

Independence:
21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

Constitution:
ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004
(next to be held November 2009)
election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of
vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA
5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%

Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; 2
members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year
terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to
determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004
(next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16
November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -
SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO
24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
SWAPO 75.1%, COD 7.2%, DTA 5%, NUDO 4.1%, UDF 3.5%, RP 1.9%, MAG
0.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3, UDF 3, RP 1,
MAG 1
note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders:
Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle
Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor
Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; South West Africa People's
Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic
Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE];
National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick NANDAGO
chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540
FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joyce BARR
embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek
mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek
telephone: [264] (61) 221601
FAX: [264] (61) 229792

Flag description:
a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left
section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right
section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders

Economy Namibia

Economy - overview:
The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing
of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich
alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for
gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of
nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of
uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin,
silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the
population while about half of the population depends on subsistence
agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50%
of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a
major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the
region, hides the world's worst inequality of income distribution.
The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the
Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand.
Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate
long-run foreign investment. Increased fish production and mining of
zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-05.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.16 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.976 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 31.5%
services: 58.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
820,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 20%
services: 33% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
35% (1998)

Population below poverty line:
the UNDP's 2005 Human Development Report indicated that 34.9% of
the population live on $1 per day and 55.8% live on $2 per day

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% 0.5%
highest 10%: NA% 64.5%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
70.7 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
24.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.945 billion
expenditures: $2.039 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
32.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish

Industries:
meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds,
lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.464 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
NA

Electricity - consumption:
2.372 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
55 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
1.065 billion kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa
(2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
12,770 bbl/day NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$509.2 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$2.04 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed
fish, karakul skins

Exports - partners:
South Africa 33.4%, US 4% (2004)

Imports:
$2.35 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
South Africa 85.2%, US (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$312.1 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$712.9 million (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $160 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR)

Currency code:
NAD; ZAR

Exchange rates:
Namibian dollars per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004),
7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Namibia

Telephones - main lines in use:
127,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
495,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100
persons
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are
by open wire; 100% digital
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South
African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;
satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios:
232,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
60,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.na

Internet hosts:
3,527 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
75,000 (2005)

Transportation Namibia

Airports:
137 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 116
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 42,237 km
paved: 5,406 km
unpaved: 36,831 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,265 GRT/3,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Luderitz, Walvis Bay

Military Namibia

Military branches:
Namibian Defense Force: Army, Air Wing, Navy (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 441,293 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 217,118 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$149.5 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.3% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Namibia

Disputes - international:
border commission has yet to resolve small residual disputes with
Botswana along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands
along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's
planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa
Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the
boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has supported and in 2004
Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to
build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing
a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the
river

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 12,618 (Angola) (2005)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Nauru

Introduction Nauru

Background:
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language
does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed
by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined
early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was
occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became
a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a
brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It
achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the
world's smallest independent republic.

Geography Nauru

Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall
Islands

Geographic coordinates:
0 32 S, 166 55 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
30 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to
February)

Terrain:
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with
phosphate plateau in center

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, fish

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

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect
rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination
plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly
by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of
Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources

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

Geography - note:
Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

People Nauru

Population:
13,287 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.9% (male 2,507/female 2,391)
15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,004/female 4,123)
65 years and over: 2% (male 139/female 123) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.6 years
male: 20 years
female: 21.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.81% (2006 est.)

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

Death rate:
6.7 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.08 years
male: 59.5 years
female: 66.84 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.11 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: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan

Ethnic groups:
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Religions:
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)

Languages:
Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English
widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and
commercial purposes

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

Government Nauru

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
local long form: Republic of Nauru
local short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island

Government type:
republic

Capital:
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada,
Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Independence:
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN
trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Constitution:
29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)

Legal system:
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
election last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary
elections for president

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than
2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3,
independents 15
note: the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and
set new elections for 23 October 2004

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru
Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079
consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

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

Flag description:
blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and
a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator
(the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
tribes of Nauru

Economy Nauru

Economy - overview:
Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports
of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in
2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining
supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being
imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major
source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the
replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term
problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate
deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in
trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds,
the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government
has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments.
In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital
plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government
and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics
on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying
widely.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,000 (2005 est.)

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

Labor force - by occupation:
note: 0.1% employed in mining phosphates, public administration,
education, and transportation

Unemployment rate:
90% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-3.6% (1993)

Budget:
revenues: $13.5 million
expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts

Industries:
phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
23 million kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
21.39 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,000 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.)

Exports:
$64,000 f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
phosphates

Exports - partners:
South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2005)

Imports:
$20 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners:
South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

Debt - external:
$33.3 million (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$20 million mostly from Australia

Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Nauru

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,500 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone
communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

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

Radios:
7,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
500 (1997)

Internet country code:
.nr

Internet hosts:
52 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
300 (2002)

Transportation Nauru

Airports:
1 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals:
Nauru

Military Nauru

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,874 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement,
defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues Nauru

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Navassa Island

Introduction Navassa Island

Background:
This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its
guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse,
built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa
Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the Department of the
Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as
a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the following year it
became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual scientific expeditions
have continued.

Geography Navassa Island

Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west of Tiburon
Peninsula of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:
18 25 N, 75 02 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5.4 sq km
land: 5.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
8 km

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

Climate:
marine, tropical

Terrain:
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by
vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

Natural resources:
guano

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

Natural hazards:
hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock but with enough grassland to support
goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus

People Navassa Island

Population:
uninhabited
note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
(July 2006 est.)

Government Navassa Island

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

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and
Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean
Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; in
September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of
Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern
side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced
against the island

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Navassa Island

Economy - overview:
Subsistence fishing and commercial trawling occur within refuge
waters.

Transportation Navassa Island

Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Navassa Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Navassa Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Haiti, source of subsistence fishing

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Nepal

Introduction Nepal

Background:
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule
by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of
government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy
within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist
insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening
to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire
between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003.
In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family,
including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October
2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for
"incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were
subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing
insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the
king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime
minister who formed a four-party coalition government. Citing
dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing
the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005
dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned
party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently
released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency
in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April
2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests organized by the
seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament
to reconvene on 28 April 2006.

Geography Nepal

Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 84 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 147,181 sq km
land: 143,181 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arkansas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical
summers and mild winters in south

Terrain:
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of
lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 83.08% (2005)

Irrigated land:
11,700 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine
depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer
monsoons