Chapter XLVII: Front Matter (47)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$4.796 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$19.01 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

Exports - partners:
China 21.7%, South Korea 19.5%, Japan 14.3%, Thailand 12.7%, UAE
7.1%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$8.709 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
livestock, lubricants

Imports - partners:
UAE 22.4%, Japan 15.7%, UK 7.7%, US 6.7%, Germany 5.8%, India 4.2%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.358 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$4.361 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$76.4 million (1995)

Currency (code):
Omani rial (OMR)

Currency code:
OMR

Exchange rates:
Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845
(2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Oman

Telephones - main lines in use:
265,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.333 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,
microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
coaxial cable
domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a
domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
international: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios:
1.4 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)

Televisions:
1.6 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.om

Internet hosts:
3,555 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
245,000 (2005)

Transportation Oman

Airports:
137 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 131
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 52
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 4,072 km; oil 3,405 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 34,965 km
paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 10,797 GRT/5,040 DWT
by type: passenger 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Kazakhstan 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Mina' Qabus, Salalah

Military Oman

Military branches:
Royal Omani Armed Forces: Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman,
Royal Air Force of Oman (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman,
RAFO) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 719,871
females age 18-49: 508,621 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 581,444
females age 18-49: 435,107 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 26,391
females age 18-49: 25,466 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$252.99 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
11.4% (2003)

Transnational Issues Oman

Disputes - international:
boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003
for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah
exclave, but details have not been made public

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Oman is a destination country for men and women
primarily from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India who migrate
willingly, but may subsequently become victims of trafficking when
subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers
and laborers; there have been occasional reports that expatriate
children engaged in camel racing may transit or reside in Omani
territory
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Oman is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
List because of a lack of evidence of increasing efforts to combat
severe forms of trafficking in persons in 2005

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Pacific Ocean

Introduction Pacific Ocean

Background:
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans
(followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and
Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the
La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres
Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization
in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean,
removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.

Geography Pacific Ocean

Location:
body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the
Western Hemisphere

Geographic coordinates:
0 00 N, 160 00 W

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 155.557 million sq km
note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East
China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of
Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other
tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global
surface; larger than the total land area of the world

Coastline:
135,663 km

Climate:
planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit
remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and
westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal
fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of
Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America;
continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less
pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude
in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a
rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden
winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the
winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to
the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and
east Asia from May to December

Terrain:
surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a
clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and
in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in
the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
Trench, which is the world's deepest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, fish

Natural hazards:
surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity
sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to
tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to
December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones
(hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and
Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September);
cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial
Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the
western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme
north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific
can be a maritime hazard from June to December

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter,
seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and
South China Sea

Geography - note:
the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon
Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific
Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean;
dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean

Economy Pacific Ocean

Economy - overview:
The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides
low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing
grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel
for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish
catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and
gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy
supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of
recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in
world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new
drillings.

Transportation Pacific Ocean

Ports and terminals:
Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los
Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San
Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney
(Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Transportation - note:
Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to
Puget Sound (Washington state)

Transnational Issues Pacific Ocean

Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Pakistan

Introduction Pakistan

Background:
The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of
Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India
was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two
wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A
third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India
capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani
politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of
Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan
conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of
Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures
have led to decreased tensions since 2002.

Geography Pakistan

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east
and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Geographic coordinates:
30 00 N, 70 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912
km, Iran 909 km

Coastline:
1,046 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:
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Terrain:
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Natural resources:
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor
quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 24.44%
permanent crops: 0.84%
other: 74.72% (2005)

Irrigated land:
182,300 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and
west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and
agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a
majority of the population does not have access to potable water;
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes
between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

People Pakistan

Population:
165,803,560 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314)
15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298/female 46,062,933)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065/female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.8 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.09% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 70.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 70.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 70.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.39 years
male: 62.4 years
female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
74,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,900 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous
leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location
animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani

Ethnic groups:
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from
India at the time of partition and their descendants)

Religions:
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%

Languages:
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu
8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English
(official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government
ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.7%
male: 61.7%
female: 35.2% (2004 est.)

Government Pakistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
local short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
name: Islamabad
geographic coordinates: 33 42 N, 73 10 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan,
Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**,
North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and
Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir
and Northern Areas

Independence:
14 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 March (1956)

Constitution:
12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30
December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in
2002; amended 31 December 2003

Legal system:
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate
Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Executive branch:
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of
Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,
General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and
assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000,
Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup
and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three
years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself
as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a
referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was
extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote
of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial
assemblies
chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year
term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's
presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held in
2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly (next
to be held in 2007)
election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August
2004 with 191 of the votes

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100
seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial
assemblies to serve six-year terms and the National Assembly (342
seats - formerly 217; 60 seats represent women; 10 seats represent
minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in
March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to
be held in 2007)
election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - PML 47, PPPP 9, MMA 20, MQM/A 6, PML/N 4, PML/F 1,
PkMAP 3, ANP 2, PPP 3, JWP 1, BNP-Awami 1, BNP-Mengal 1, BNP/H 1,
independents 1; National Assembly results - percent of votes by
party - NA; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19,
MQM/A 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, PAT 1,
PML/Z 1, PTI 1, MQM/H 1, PkMAP 1, independents 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal
Islamic or Shari'a Court

Political parties and leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan
National Party/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch
National Party/Awami or BNP/Awami [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch
National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori
Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR];
Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Pakistan or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement,
Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement,
Haqiqi faction or MQM/H [Afaq AHMAD]; National Alliance or NA
[Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP
[Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal
KHAN]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan
Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan
Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF];
Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as
of May 2004, the PML/Q changed its name to PML and absorbed the
PML/J, PML/Z, and NA; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil
BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO];
Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO];
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami
[Allama Sajid NAQVI]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

Political pressure groups and leaders:
military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy),
landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential

International organization participation:
ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC,
SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmud Ali DURRANI
chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500
FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, Sunnyvale (California)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan CROCKER
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200
telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000
FAX: [92] (51) 2276427
consulate(s) general: Karachi
consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar

Flag description:
green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious
minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are
centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are
traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Pakistan

Economy - overview:
Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered
from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign
investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with neighboring
India. However, IMF-approved government policies, bolstered by
generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets
since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic recovery the last
four years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic
reforms since 2000, although progress on more politically sensitive
reforms has slowed. For example, in the budget for fiscal year 2006,
Islamabad did not impose taxes on the agriculture or real estate
sectors, despite Pakistan's chronically low tax-to-GDP ratio. While
long-term prospects remain uncertain, given Pakistan's low level of
development, medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty
reduction are the best in more than a decade. Islamabad has raised
development spending from about 2% of GDP in the 1990s to 4% in
2003, a necessary step towards reversing the broad underdevelopment
of its social sector. GDP growth, spurred by double-digit gains in
industrial production over the past year, has become less dependent
on agriculture, and remained above 7% in 2004 and 2005. Inflation
remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than 9%
in 2005. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank announced that
they would provide US $1 billion each in aid to help Pakistan
rebuild areas hit by the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. Foreign
exchange reserves continued to reach new levels in 2005, supported
by steady worker remittances. In the near term, growth probably
cannot be sustained at the 7% level; however, massive international
aid, increased government spending, lower taxes, and pay increases
for government workers will help Pakistan maintain strong GDP growth
over the longer term.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$395.2 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$89.55 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.6%
industry: 25.1%
services: 53.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
46.84 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use
of child labor (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 20%
services: 38% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6.6% plus substantial underemployment (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
32% (FY00/01 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 27.6% (FY96/97)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41 (FY98/99)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $15.45 billion
expenditures: $20.07 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
53.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef,
mutton, eggs

Industries:
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals,
construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Industrial production growth rate:
10.7% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
76.92 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 68.8%
hydro: 28.2%
nuclear: 3%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
71.54 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
63,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
365,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-1.109 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$14.85 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather
goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

Exports - partners:
US 22.5%, UAE 8.9%, UK 5.8%, China 5.4%, Germany 4.6% (2005)

Imports:
$21.26 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation
equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

Imports - partners:
China 13.8%, Saudi Arabia 10.3%, UAE 8.8%, Japan 6.1%, US 5%,
Kuwait 5%, Germany 4.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.95 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$38.8 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.4 billion (FY01/02)

Currency (code):
Pakistani rupee (PKR)

Currency code:
PKR

Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004),
57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002), 61.927 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Pakistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
5,277,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.771 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving;
service is adequate for government and business use, in part because
major businesses have established their own private systems; since
1988, the government has promoted investment in the national
telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly
increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and
urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily
available to the majority of the rural population
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite networks
international: country code - 92; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational
international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998)

Radios:
13.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.pk

Internet hosts:
72,765 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
30 (2000)

Internet users:
10.5 million (2005)

Transportation Pakistan

Airports:
139 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 91
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 33
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 48
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Heliports:
18 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 10,257 km; oil 2,001 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
total: 255,856 km
paved: 157,975 km (including 367 km of expressways)
unpaved: 97,881 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 397,740 GRT/657,656 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, container 1, petroleum tanker 4
registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 2, North Korea 3, Malta
1, Nigeria 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

Military Pakistan

Military branches:
Army (includes National Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Pakistan
Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be
deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani Air Force has
inducted its first female combat pilot (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 39,028,014
females age 16-49: 36,779,584 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 29,428,747
females age 16-49: 28,391,887 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,969,055
females age 16-49: 1,849,254 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.26 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.9% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Pakistan

Disputes - international:
various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have
begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the
October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains
the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial
dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China
(Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir
and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and
Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers
since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic
Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan
instituted a cease-fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus
service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has
taken its dispute on the impact of India's building the Baglihar Dam
on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for
arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River
water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare discussions on a
maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion
of the disputed the Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's
Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, had
repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and had undertaken a census
to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their
own choosing; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to
control the border with Afghanistan and stem organized terrorist or
other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan
and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary
encroachments

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 960,041 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South
Waziristan); 3 million (October 2005 earthquake) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
opium poppy cultivation declined 58% to 3,147 hectares in 2005;
federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy
campaigns that force eradication - fines and arrests will take place
if the ban on poppy cultivation is not observed; key transit point
for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish,
bound for Western markets, the Gulf States, and Africa; financial
crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and
smuggling remain problems

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Palau

Introduction Palau

Background:
After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the
Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the
Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the
Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with
the US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered
into force the following year, when the islands gained independence.

Geography Palau

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of
the Philippines

Geographic coordinates:
7 30 N, 134 30 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,519 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Terrain:
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

Natural resources:
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed
minerals

Land use:
arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 86.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)

Environment - current issues:
inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the
marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing
practices, and overfishing

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

Geography - note:
westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six
island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II
battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

People Palau

Population:
20,579 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.3% (male 2,789/female 2,622)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 7,664/female 6,549)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 453/female 502) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.7 years
male: 32.7 years
female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.31% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.46 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.42 years
male: 67.26 years
female: 73.77 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.46 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: Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan

Ethnic groups:
Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%,
Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%,
Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%
(2000 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous
to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%,
Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other religion 3.1%, unspecified or none
16.4% (2000 census)

Languages:
Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese
and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and
Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%,
English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other
Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92%
male: 93%
female: 90% (1980 est.)

Government Palau

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Palau
conventional short form: Palau
local long form: Beluu er a Belau
local short form: Belau
former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District

Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Capital:
name: Melekeok
geographic coordinates: 7 29 N, 134 38 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror,
Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar,
Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol

Independence:
1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)

Constitution:
1 January 1981

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005)
cabinet: NA
elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets
by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. reelected president;
percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 64%, Polycarp BASILIUS
33%; Elias Camsek CHIN elected vice president; percent of vote -
Elias Camsek CHIN 70%, Sandra PIERANTOZZI 29%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the
Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population
basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next
to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats -
independents 9 (four new members elected); House of Delegates -
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 (one new member
elected)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC,
IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
chancery: 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
20006
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
consulate(s) general: Honolulu
consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: US ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to
Palau
embassy: Koror (no street address)
mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940
telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
FAX: [680] 488-2911

Flag description:
light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted
slightly to the hoist side

Economy Palau

Economy - overview:
The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture,
and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force,
relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. Business and
tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The population enjoys a
per capita income twice that of the Philippines and much of
Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been
greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the
rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the
willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$124.5 million; note - includes US subsidy (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$145 million

GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% 6.2%
industry: NA% 12%
services: NA% 81.8%

Labor force:
9,777 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (1990)

Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $72.07 million
expenditures: $72.43 million; including capital expenditures of
$12.98 million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish

Industries:
tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction,
garment making

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production by source:
NA

Current account balance:
$15.09 million

Exports:
$5.882 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
shellfish, tuna, copra, garments

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

Imports:
$107.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
US, Singapore, Japan, South Korea (2004)

Debt - external:
$0 (FY99/00)

Economic aid - recipient:
$19.6 million; note - the Compact of Free Association with the US,
entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994,
provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in
return for furnishing military facilities

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Palau

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002)

Radios:
12,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (cable) (2005)

Televisions:
11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pw

Internet hosts:
3 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Transportation Palau

Airports:
3 (2006)

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

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

Roadways:
total: 61 km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km

Ports and terminals:
Koror

Military Palau

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Palau National Police (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,694 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,087 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 142 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free
Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted
access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed any
military forces there (2005)

Transnational Issues Palau

Disputes - international:
border delineation disputes being negotiated with Philippines,
Indonesia

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Panama

Introduction Panama

Background:
Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama
broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Venezuela,
and Ecuador - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter
dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US
backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a
treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US
sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure
(the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army
Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was
signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama
by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and
increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the
subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was
deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the
Canal, and remaining US military bases were transfered to Panama by
the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious
plan to expand the Canal. The project, which is to begin in 2007 and
could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in
2014-15.

Geography Panama

Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 N, 80 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Coastline:
2,490 km

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

Climate:
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May
to January), short dry season (January to May)

Terrain:
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m

Natural resources:
copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 7.26%
permanent crops: 1.95%
other: 90.79% (2005)

Irrigated land:
430 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery
resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation
and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution
in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge
connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links
North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

People Panama

Population:
3,191,319 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.3% (male 492,403/female 472,996)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,025,898/female 998,926)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 94,122/female 106,974) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.1 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 26.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.6% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.4 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.22 years
male: 72.68 years
female: 77.87 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
16,000 (2003 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Panamanian(s)
adjective: Panamanian

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed
(West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Languages:
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 93.2%
female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Government Panama

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Panama
conventional short form: Panama
local long form: Republica de Panama
local short form: Panama

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
name: Panama
geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory*
(comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera,
Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*(Kuna Yala), and Veraguas

Independence:
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28
November 1821)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Constitution:
11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004

Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September
2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September
2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1
September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1
September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1
September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since
1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for two more terms);
election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009); note -
beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president.
election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent
of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany
30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%
note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party),
PP (Popular Party)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative Assembly)
or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms); note - in 2009, the number of seats will
change to 71
elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, CD 2, PP 2, PLN 1, other 5
note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
formula

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges
appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of
appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic
Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD]; National Liberal Party or
PLN [Anibal GALINDO]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or
MOLIRENA [Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the
Arnulfista Party) [Marco AMEGLIO]; Popular Party or PP (formerly
Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ricardo ARIAS Calderon];
Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul MULINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of
Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise
or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers
(SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE;
Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of
the Republic of Panama or CTRP

International organization participation:
CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Federico HUMBERT Arias
chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William A. EATON
embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561,
Zona 5, Panama City 5
mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002
telephone: [507] 207-7000
FAX: [507] 227-1964

Flag description:
divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white
(hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain
red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with
a red five-pointed star in the center

Economy Panama

Economy - overview:
Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a well-developed
services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services
include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone,
insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump
in the Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global
slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back
economic growth in 2000-03; growth picked up in 2004 and 2005 led by
export-oriented services and a construction boom stimulated by tax
incentives. The government has implemented tax reforms, as well as
social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements and
development of tourism. Unemployment remains high.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$23.33 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.89 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.8%
industry: 15.6%
services: 77.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
1.39 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled
labor (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20.8%
industry: 18%
services: 61.2% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate:
9.8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
37% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.4 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.426 billion
expenditures: $3.959 billion; including capital expenditures of $471
million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
64.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock;
shrimp

Industries:
construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials,
sugar milling

Industrial production growth rate:
1.7% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
5.398 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 37%
hydro: 61.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.7% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
4.87 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
175 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
25 million kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
78,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day; note - imports oil

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

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

Current account balance:
$-705.7 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$7.481 billion f.o.b.; note - includes the Colon Free Zone (2005
est.)

Exports - commodities:
bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing

Exports - partners:
US 44.9%, Spain 8.9%, Sweden 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%, Costa Rica 4%
(2005)

Imports:
$8.734 billion f.o.b. (includes the Colon Free Zone) (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals

Imports - partners:
US 27.5%, Netherlands Antilles 11.4%, Costa Rica 4.7%, Japan 4.5%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.211 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$9.758 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$197.1 million (1995)

Currency (code):
balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
PAB; USD

Exchange rates:
balboas per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1
(2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Panama

Telephones - main lines in use:
440,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.352 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic and international facilities well
developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
the Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
815,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
38 (including repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
510,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pa

Internet hosts:
7,149 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
300,000 (2005)

Transportation Panama

Airports:
117 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 53
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 28 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Railways:
total: 355 km
standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 11,643 km
paved: 4,028 km
unpaved: 7,615 km (2000)

Waterways:
800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 5,473 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,511,342 GRT/219,940,567
DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 1,776, cargo 992, chemical
tanker 476, combination ore/oil 2, container 663, liquefied gas 193,
livestock carrier 7, passenger 49, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum
tanker 518, refrigerated cargo 299, roll on/roll off 123,
specialized tanker 23, vehicle carrier 274
foreign-owned: 4,922 (Anguilla 1, Argentina 9, Australia 3, Bahamas,
The 2, Belgium 11, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 1, Canada 4, Chile 9, China
420, Colombia 5, Croatia 5, Cuba 11, Cyprus 14, Denmark 34, Egypt
16, Estonia 3, France 15, Gabon 1, Germany 35, Greece 524, Hong Kong
169, India 19, Indonesia 50, Iran 4, Ireland 2, Israel 6, Italy 15,
Japan 2007, Jordan 13, South Korea ( ( (291, Kuwait 2, Latvia 3,
Lebanon 2, Lithuania 5, Malaysia 13, Maldives 1, Malta 3, Mexico 5,
Monaco 9, Morocco 1, Netherlands 21, Nigeria 7, Norway 66, Pakistan
3, Peru 15, Philippines 13, Poland 15, Portugal 10, Qatar 1, Romania
9, Russia 7, Saudi Arabia 8, Singapore 67, South Africa 3, Spain 53,
Sri Lanka 5, Sudan 1, Sweden 5, Switzerland 226, Syria 18, Taiwan
308, Thailand 9, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 42, UAE 105, UK 37,
Ukraine 8, US 94, Venezuela 14, Vietnam 4, Yemen 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Venezuela 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Balboa, Colon, Cristobal

Military Panama

Military branches:
an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but
there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes
the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service, and
National Air Service)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 751,065 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 591,604 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,724

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$150 million (2005 est.)

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