Chapter LXV: Front Matter (65)

Capital:
name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence:
30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution:
30 July 1980

Legal system:
unified system being created from former dual French and British
systems

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August
2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11 December
2004); Deputy Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 11 December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral
college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional
councils; election for president last held 16 August 2004 (next to
be held in 2009); following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime
minister last held 29 July 2004 (next to be held following general
elections in 2008)
election results: Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49
votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, VRP 4, MPP 3, VGP 3, other and independent 16;
note - political party associations are fluid
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture
and language

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after
consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the
opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders:
Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or
MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Hem LINI]; Union of
Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land
Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP [Moana
CARCASSES]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
(observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have
a Permanent Mission to the UN

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua
New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black
isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a
black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
namele leaves, all in yellow

Economy Vanuatu

Economy - overview:
This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale
agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population.
Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000
visitors in 2004, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral
deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum
deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market.
Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is
hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports,
vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main
markets and between constituent islands. GDP growth rose less than
3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the
government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore
financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to
boost tourism. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a
second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main
suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$276.3 million (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$341 million

GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 12%
services: 62% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
76,410

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 5%
services: 30% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
1.7% NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1.6% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $78.7 million
expenditures: $72.23 million (2003)

Agriculture - products:
copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables;
beef; fish

Industries:
food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate:
1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
41 million kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
38.13 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

Current account balance:
$-28.35 million

Exports:
$34.11 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee

Exports - partners:
Thailand 46.5%, India 14.1%, Poland 7.9%, Turkey 7.7%, Japan 6.9%
(2005)

Imports:
$117.1 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners:
Australia 18.4%, Japan 16.6%, Singapore 14.7%, Poland 8.5%, NZ
7.2%, Fiji 6.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$40.54 million

Debt - external:
$81.2 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$37.8 million (2004)

Currency (code):
vatu (VUV)

Currency code:
VUV

Exchange rates:
vatu per US dollar - NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19 (2003), 139.2
(2002), 145.31 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Vanuatu

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,800 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12,700 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios:
67,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2004)

Televisions:
2,300 (1999)

Internet country code:
.vu

Internet hosts:
413 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
7,500 (2004)

Transportation Vanuatu

Airports:
31 (2006)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 1,070 km
paved: 256 km
unpaved: 814 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 51 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,340,132 GRT/1,908,687 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2,
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2,
vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Denmark 6, Estonia 1,
Japan 28, Poland 5, Russia 1, Switzerland 2, US 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Military Vanuatu

Military branches:
no regular military forces; security forces comprise the Vanuatu
Police Force (VPF) and paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF),
which includes Vanuatu's naval force, known as the Police Maritime
Wing (PMW); border security in Vanuatu is the joint responsibility
of the Customs and Inland Revenue Service, VPF, VMF, and PMW (2003)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 50,221 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 33,837 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Vanuatu

Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu
and France

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Venezuela

Introduction Venezuela

Background:
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse
of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada,
which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th
century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military
strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social
reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since
1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a
controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to
alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization
and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a
weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a
politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian
border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the
petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible
mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and
indigenous peoples.

Geography Venezuela

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 66 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline:
2,800 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 15 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains
(llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
hydropower, diamonds

Land use:
arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.88%
other: 96.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:
5,750 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of
Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and
industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat
to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations

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

Geography - note:
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel
Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall

People Venezuela

Population:
25,730,435 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 26 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 26.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.38% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.54 years
male: 71.49 years
female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups:
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous
people

Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Languages:
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.1% (2003 est.)

Government Venezuela

Country name:
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
name: Caracas
geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district*
(distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia
federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar,
Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito
Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva
Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Independence:
5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution:
30 December 1999

Legal system:
open, adversarial court system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April
2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006
(next to be held December 2012)
note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new
constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an
election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of
this new constitution
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of
vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 63%, Manuel ROSALES 37%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three
seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other
25), opposition 0

Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia
(magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single
12-year term)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Democratic Action
or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose
ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice
First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector
MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or
PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups;
Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization
dominated by the Democratic Action)

International organization participation:
CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle
Arriba, Caracas 1080
mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411
FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with
the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of
eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

Economy Venezuela

Economy - overview:
Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector,
accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export
earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. Government
revenue also has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which
has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%. Tax revenue is
the primary source of non-oil revenue, which accounts for 53% of the
2006 budget. A disastrous two-month national oil strike, from
December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic
activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by
9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Output recovered strongly in
2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and strong consumption growth.
Venezuela continues to be an important source of crude oil for the
US market. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental
problems.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$162.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$106.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 41.9%
services: 54.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
12.31 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 23%
services: 64% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
47% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49.1 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
16% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $39.63 billion
expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
34.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef,
pork, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:
petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron
ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
7.2% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
87.44 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 31.7%
hydro: 68.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
81.32 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
530,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

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

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.191 trillion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$25.36 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$52.73 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural
products, basic manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 51.2%, Netherlands Antilles 7.3%, Canada 2.4% (2005)

Imports:
$24.63 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
construction materials

Imports - partners:
US 31.6%, Colombia 11%, Brazil 9.1%, Mexico 6.9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$29.64 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$41.51 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$74 million (2000)

Currency (code):
bolivar (VEB)

Currency code:
VEB

Exchange rates:
bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607
(2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Venezuela

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,605,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.496 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in
the construction of an international fiber-optic network

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios:
10.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
4.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ve

Internet hosts:
51,968 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
3.04 million (2005)

Transportation Venezuela

Airports:
375 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 129
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 60
under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 246
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 90
under 914 m: 147 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined
products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1999)

Waterways:
7,100 km
note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing
vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1,
liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18
foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1,
Russia 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Amuay, La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

Military Venezuela

Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN): Ground
Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces
(Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air
Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or
National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,236,012
females age 18-49: 6,137,622 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,907,947
females age 18-49: 5,151,843 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 252,396
females age 18-49: 237,300 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.61 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Venezuela

Disputes - international:
claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana,
preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has
expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that
Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into
their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and
maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized
illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's
shared border region resulting in several thousand residents
migrating away from the border; US, France, and the Netherlands
recognize Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island,
which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a
large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest
Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and
other states' recognition of it

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination
country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual
exploitation and forced labor; women and children from Colombia,
China, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic are trafficked to
and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial sexual
exploitation or forced labor; Venezuelans are trafficked internally
and to Western Europe, particularly Spain and the Netherlands, and
to countries in the Caribbean region for commercial sexual
exploitation; Venezuela is a transit country for illegal migrants
from other countries in the region and for Asian nationals, some are
believed to be trafficking victims
tier rating: Tier 3 - Venezuela does not fully comply with the
minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
making significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing
of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of
cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia
bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related
money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia
and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily
targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by
Colombian insurgents on border

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Vietnam

Introduction Vietnam

Background:
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed
by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam
declared independence after World War II, but France continued to
rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH.
Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the
Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military
aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster
the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a
cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese
forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule.
Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country
experienced little economic growth because of conservative
leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi
moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have
committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted
structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce
more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to
experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant
Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and
the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious
persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to
Vietnamese settlers.

Geography Vietnam

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin,
and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 106 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Coastline:
3,444 km (excludes islands)

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

Climate:
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May
to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Terrain:
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly,
mountainous in far north and northwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and
gas deposits, forests, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 20.14%
permanent crops: 6.93%
other: 72.93% (2005)

Irrigated land:
30,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding,
especially in the Mekong River delta

Environment - current issues:
logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to
deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing
threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits
potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population
migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
City

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

Geography - note:
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across
at its narrowest point

People Vietnam

Population:
84,402,966 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 11,826,457/female 10,983,069)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 28,055,941/female 28,614,553)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,924,562/female 2,998,384) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.9 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.02% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.85 years
male: 68.05 years
female: 73.85 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis,
and plague are high risks in some locations
animal contact disease: rabies
water contact disease: leptospirosis
note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who
have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

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

Ethnic groups:
Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa
1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)

Religions:
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%,
Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

Languages:
Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second
language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages
(Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.3%
male: 93.9%
female: 86.9% (2002)

Government Vietnam

Country name:
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
name: Hanoi
geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities
(thanh pho, singular and plural)
provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba
Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh
Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai,
Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong,
Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai
Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh
Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang
Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh,
Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen
Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai
municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

Independence:
2 September 1945 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Constitution:
15 April 1992

Legal system:
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006);
Vice President Truong My HOA (since 25 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June
2006); Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006),
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and
Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime
minister and confirmed by National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
members for five-year term; election last held 27 June 2006; prime
minister appointed by the president from among the members of the
National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime
minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers
confirmed by National Assembly
election results: Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime
minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the
10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for
election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved 51

Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year
term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

Political parties and leaders:
only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [84] (4) 772-1500
FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Flag description:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

Economy Vietnam

Economy - overview:
Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last
30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of
financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a
centrally-planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from
1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of
development and significantly reducing poverty. Growth averaged
around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial
crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and
temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward a
market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from 1997
to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial crisis
and a global recession, and growth hit 8% in 2005. Since 2001,
however, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to
economic liberalization and international integration. They have
moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the
economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries.
Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry
into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December
2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and
economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US doubled in 2002 and
again in 2003. Vietnam hopes to become a member of the WTO in 2006.
Among other benefits, accession would allow Vietnam to take
advantage of the phase out of the Agreement on Textiles and
Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO
partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output
has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to 21% in 2005. Deep
poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per
day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of
China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to promote job
creation to keep up with the country's high population growth rate.
However, high levels of inflation have prompted Vietnamese
authorities to tighten monetary and fiscal policies.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$235.2 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$43.75 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.9%
industry: 41%
services: 38.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
44.39 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 56.8%
industry: 37%
services: 6.2% (July 2005)

Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
19.5% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.1 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
33.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11.64 billion
expenditures: $12.95 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
48.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews,
sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Industries:
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal,
steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper

Industrial production growth rate:
17.2% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
46.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 43.7%
hydro: 56.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
52 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
NA kWh

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh

Oil - production:
400,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
216,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

Natural gas - production:
6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
NA cu m

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

Current account balance:
$-309 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$32.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments,
shoes

Exports - partners:
US 21.2%, Japan 13.3%, Australia 8.4%, China 7.5%, Singapore 5.3%,
Germany 5% (2005)

Imports:
$36.88 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel
products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Imports - partners:
China 16.3%, Singapore 12.8%, Taiwan 11.7%, Japan 10.4%, South
Korea 9.9%, Thailand 6.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.863 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$20.16 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors
for 2000 (2004)

Currency (code):
dong (VND)

Currency code:
VND

Exchange rates:
dong per US dollar - 15,746 (2005), (2004), 15,510 (2003), 15,280
(2002), 14,725 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Vietnam

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.593 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into
modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its
performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios:
8.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (plus 61 provincial TV stations) (2006)

Televisions:
3.57 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.vn

Internet hosts:
12,114 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
13.1 million (2006)

Transportation Vietnam

Airports:
32 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 26
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

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

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 163 km; oil 50 km; refined products 206
km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,600 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m
gauges (2005)

Roadways:
total: 222,179 km
paved: 42,167 km
unpaved: 180,012 km (2004)

Waterways:
17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 267 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,423,936 GRT/2,191,858 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 23, cargo 202, chemical tanker 4, container 5,
liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Honduras
1, Mongolia 8, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, unknown
2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City

Military Vietnam

Military branches:
People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes
People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and
Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command),
People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service; females may
volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service
obligation - 2 years (3-4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age
(male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self
Defense Forces (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 21,341,813
females age 18-49: 21,430,808 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 16,032,358
females age 18-49: 17,921,241 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 915,572
females age 18-49: 864,161 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$650 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Vietnam

Disputes - international:
southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese
squatters and armed encroachments along border; after years of
Cambodia claiming Vietnam had moved or destroyed boundary markers,
in 2005, after much domestic debate, Cambodia ratified an agreement
with Vietnam that settled all but a small portion of the land
boundary; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is
hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; in 2004,
Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commission agrees to erect missing
markers in two adjoining provinces; demarcation of the China-Vietnam
boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary
delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004,
implementation has been delayed; China occupies Paracel Islands also
claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with
China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the
Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally
binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants;
Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the
Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China,
the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Illicit drugs:
minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for
Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic
opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding
crackdowns

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Virgin Islands

Introduction Virgin Islands

Background:
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two
territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane,
produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th
and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish
portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of
slavery in 1848.

Geography Virgin Islands

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km
water: 1,564 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
188 km

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

Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season
September to November

Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m

Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use:
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86%
other: 91.43% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts
and floods; occasional earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources

Geography - note:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane
for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural
deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

People Virgin Islands

Population:
108,605 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 37.1 years
male: 36.2 years
female: 38 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.12% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-8.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.05 years
male: 75.24 years
female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.17 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: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:
black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000
census)

Religions:
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%

Languages:
English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French
Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est.
male: NA%
female: NA% (2005 est.)

Government Virgin Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies
abbreviation: USVI

Dependency status:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the
Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Charlotte Amalie
geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

National holiday:
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)

Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system:
based on US laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do
not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
January 1999)
cabinet: NA
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections
for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant
governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year
terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21
November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
election results: John DeJONGH elected governor and takes office in
January 2007; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP
42.7%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the
US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006
(next to be held November 2008); results - Donna M. CHRISTENSEN
(Democrat) reelected

Judicial branch:
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit
jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges
appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens'
Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
IOC, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the
large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle
holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other
with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a
blue panel

Economy Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP
and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year.
The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural
sector is small, with most food being imported. International
business and financial services are small but growing components of
the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at
Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from
storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to
support construction projects in the private sector, to expand
tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.577 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
43,980 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6.2% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.04 billion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
967.3 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
14,650 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
105,000 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:
$4.234 billion $NA

Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Imports:
$4.609 billion $NA

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
70,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
64,200 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system with total digital switching,
uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections
(Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)

Radios:
107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (2006)

Televisions:
68,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vi

Internet hosts:
3,855 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
30,000 (2002)

Transportation Virgin Islands

Airports:
2 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 1,257 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay

Military Virgin Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Wake Island

Introduction Wake Island

Background:
The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An
important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December
1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end
of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a
stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft
transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been
used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All
operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated
in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon Loke (category 5),
which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m
storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and
repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited
function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of
activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the
survey and assessment.

Geography Wake Island

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the
way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Geographic coordinates:
19 17 N, 166 39 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
19.3 km

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

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up
on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands
are part of the rim

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Natural resources:
none

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

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
location for transpacific flights

People Wake Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor
personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were
present (July 2006 est.)

Government Wake Island

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

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are
conducted by the US Air Force

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used