Chapter XIX: Front Matter (19)

Flag description:
white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name
Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green
crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches
symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek
and Turkish communities
note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a white
field with narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance
from the top and bottom edges between which is centered a red
crescent and red five-pointd star

Economy Cyprus

Economy - overview:
The Republic of Cyprus has a market economy dominated by the
service sector, which accounts for 76% of GDP. Tourism and financial
services are the most important sectors; erratic growth rates over
the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which
often fluctuates with political instability in the region and
economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy
grew a healthy 3.7% per year in 2004 and 2005, well above the EU
average. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2)
in May 2005. The government has initiated an aggressive austerity
program, which has cut the budget deficit to below 3% but continued
fiscal discipline is necessary if Cyprus is to meet its goal of
adopting the euro on 1 January 2008. As in the area administered by
Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few
desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the
country received substantial rainfall from 2001-03 alleviating
immediate concerns. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly
one-third of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth
tends to be volatile, given north Cyprus's relative isolation,
bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small
market size. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew 15.4% in 2004, fueled
by growth in the construction and education sectors, as well as
increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the Republic of Cyprus.
The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the
Turkish Government. Under the 2003-06 economic protocol, Ankara
planned to provide around $700 million to the "TRNC." Agriculture
and services, together, employ more than half of the work force.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
Republic of Cyprus: $17.79 billion; north Cyprus: $4.54 billion
(2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
Republic of Cyprus: $16.35 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 3.7%; north Cyprus: 10.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
Republic of Cyprus: $22,700 (2005 est.); north Cyprus: $7,135 (2004
est.) (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 3.7%; industry 19.6%; services
76.8% (2005 est.)
north Cyprus: agriculture 10.6%; industry 20.5%; services 68.9%
(2003 est.)

Labor force:
Republic of Cyprus: 380,000, north Cyprus: 95,025 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 7.4%, industry 38.2%, services
54.4% (2004 est.)
north Cyprus: agriculture 14.5%, industry 29%, services 56.5% (2004
est.)

Unemployment rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 5.5% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 5.6% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Republic of Cyprus: 2.8% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 9.1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
Republic of Cyprus: 21.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: Republic of Cyprus - $7.395 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures: Republic of Cyprus - $7.695 billion (2005 est.)
revenues: $685.7 million; north Cyprus - $231.3 million (2003 est.)
expenditures: north Cyprus - $432.8 million (2003 est.)

Public debt:
Republic of Cyprus: 68.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry,
pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

Industries:
tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum
production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light
chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products

Industrial production growth rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 2.4% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: -0.3% (2002
est.) (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
Republic of Cyprus: 3.926 billion kWh; north Cyprus: NA kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
Republic of Cyprus: 3.651 billion kWh (2004); north Cyprus: NA kWh
(2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
Republic of Cyprus: 53,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

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

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

Current account balance:
Republic of Cyprus: $-1.051 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
Republic of Cyprus: $1.34 billion f.o.b.; north Cyprus: $69 million
f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
Republic of Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement,
clothing and cigarettes; north Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, textiles

Exports - partners:
France 18.8%, UK 18.1%, Greece 13%, Germany 6% (2005)

Imports:
Republic of Cyprus: $5.8 billion f.o.b.; north Cyprus: $415.2
million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
Republic of Cyprus: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants,
intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment; north Cyprus:
vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery

Imports - partners:
Greece 17.3%, Italy 10.3%, UK 9%, Germany 8.4%, Israel 7.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Republic of Cyprus: $4.613 billion; north Cyprus $NA (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
Republic of Cyprus: $12.63 billion; north Cyprus: $NA (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
Republic of Cyprus - $NA; north Cyprus - $700 million from Turkey
in grants and loans, which are usually forgiven (2003-06)

Currency (code):
Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot area:
Turkish New lira (YTL)

Currency code:
CYP; TRL

Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005),
0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002), Turkish lira per US
dollar - 1.44514 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.426 million (2004), 1.501
million (2003), 1.507 million (2002), 1.226 million (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Cyprus

Telephones - main lines in use:
area under government control: 420,000 (2005); area administered by
Turkish Cypriots: 86,228 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
area under government control: 718,800 (2005);; area administered
by Turkish Cypriots: 143,178 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent in both area under government control
and area administered by Turkish Cypriots
domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); tropospheric
scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2
Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
area under government control: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0
area administered by Turkish Cyriots: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios:
Greek Cypriot area: 310,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 56,450
(1994)

Television broadcast stations:
area under government control: 8
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)

Televisions:
Greek Cypriot area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 52,300
(1994)

Internet country code:
.cy

Internet hosts:
67,589 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
298,000 (2005)

Transportation Cyprus

Airports:
16 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports:
10 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 14,496 km (area under government control: 12,146 km; area
administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2,350 km)
paved: area under government control: 7,845 km (including 276 km of
expressways); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 1,370 km
unpaved: area under government control: 4,301 km; area administered
by Turkish Cypriots: 980 km (2005/1996 est.)

Merchant marine:
total: 884 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,477,944 GRT/31,157,473 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 354, cargo 210, chemical tanker 44, container
145, liquefied gas 8, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 23, petroleum
tanker 64, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle
carrier 5
foreign-owned: 777 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 11, Croatia 2, Cuba
2, Denmark 1, Estonia 6, Germany 214, Greece 337, Greenland 1, Hong
Kong 1, India 5, Iran 2, Ireland 3, Israel 3, Italy 2, Japan 17,
South Korea 1, Latvia 4, Netherlands 18, Norway 16, Philippines 1,
Poland 20, Portugal 2, Russia 53, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1, Slovenia
4, Spain 7, Sweden 3, Switzerland 4, Syria 3, UAE 11, UK 6, Ukraine
4, US 7, unknown 1)
registered in other countries: 87 (Bahamas 13, Belize 2, Cambodia
12, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 3,
Malta 15, Marshall Islands 15, Norway 2, Panama 14, Portugal 1,
Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Turkey
2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos

Military Cyprus

Military branches:
Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes
air and naval elements); north Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security
Force (GKK)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 184,352
females age 18-49: 175,567 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 150,750
females age 18-49: 144,344 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 6,578
females age 18-49: 6,200 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$384 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.8% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Cyprus

Disputes - international:
hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous
entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a
Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since
1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; March
2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots later opened
their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on 24 April
2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities voted in
simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve the
UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the 30-year division of
the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus Republic," a
majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered
the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation
and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 210,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced for
over 30 years) (2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Cyprus is primarily a destination country for a
large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe,
the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of
sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit
victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term
"artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or
for illegal work on tourist or student visas; there were credible
reports of female domestic workers from India, Sri Lanka, and the
Philippines forced to work excessively long hours and denied proper
compensation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cyprus does not fully comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and failed
to show evidence of increasing efforts to address its serious
trafficking for sexual exploitation problem; however, it is making
significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and
container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey;
some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of
anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money
laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector
remains weak

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Czech Republic

Introduction Czech Republic

Background:
Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and
Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form
Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders
were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic
minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and
the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated
Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968,
an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's
leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism
with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year
ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet
authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a
peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country
underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999
and the European Union in 2004.

Geography Czech Republic

Location:
Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates:
49 45 N, 15 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 78,866 sq km
land: 77,276 sq km
water: 1,590 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 2,290.2 km
border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8
km, Slovakia 251.8 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain:
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus
surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very
hilly country

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources:
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

Land use:
arable land: 38.82%
permanent crops: 3%
other: 58.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
240 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
flooding

Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in
northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain
damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should
improve domestic pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most
significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional
military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in
central Europe

People Czech Republic

Population:
10,235,455 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 755,098/female 714,703)
15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,656,021/female 3,629,036)
65 years and over: 14.5% (male 576,264/female 904,333) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.3 years
male: 37.5 years
female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.06% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0.97 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.22 years
male: 72.94 years
female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 10 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups:
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified
8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Languages:
Czech

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

Government Czech Republic

Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Cesko

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Prague
geographic coordinates: 40 55 N, 21 00 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni
mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj,
Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj,
Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha (Prague)*,
Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj

Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia)

National holiday:
Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)

Constitution:
ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993

Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line
with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January
2007), Deputy Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 9 January 2007),
Deputy Prime Minister Jiri CUNEK (since 9 January 2007), Deputy
Prime Minister Martin BURSIK (since 9 January 2007), and Deputy
Prime Minister Alexandr VONDRA (since 9 January 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); last successful election held 28
February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003
were inconclusive; next election to be held January 2008); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February
2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round;
combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 20-21 and 27-28 October
2006 (next to be held October 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held
2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL 10, others 15, independents 2;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD
32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by
party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats or SNK-ED
[Jana Hybaskova, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak
People's Party or KDU-CSL [Jiri CUNEK, chairman]; Civic Democratic
Alliance or ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA, chairwoman]; Civic Democratic
Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia
and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP, chairman]; Czech Social
Democratic Party or CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK, chairman]; Freedom
Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan HADRAVA, chairman]; Green
Party [Martin BURSIK, chairman]; Independent Democrats (NEZDEM)
[Vladimir ZELEZNY, chairman]; Party of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel
NOVACEK, chairman]; Path of Change [Jiri LOBKOWITZ, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI,
CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOMIG,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. GRABER
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] 257 022 000
FAX: [420] 257 022 809

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to the flag of
the former Czechoslovakia)

Economy Czech Republic

Economy - overview:
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the
post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in
2000-05 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany,
and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic
demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth
as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and
mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to
around 3% of GDP as demand for Czech products in the European Union
has increased. Inflation is under control. Recent accession to the
EU gives further impetus and direction to structural reform. In
early 2004 the government passed increases in the Value Added Tax
(VAT) and tightened eligibility for social benefits with the
intention to bring the public finance gap down to 4% of GDP by 2006,
but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms will have to wait
until after the next elections. Privatization of the state-owned
telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom took place in 2005.
Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in
the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should
strengthen output growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$221.4 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$118.9 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 37.8%
services: 59.4% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
5.31 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 37.6%
services: 58.3% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
8.4% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
27.3 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
26.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $57.88 billion
expenditures: $62.53 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
29.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry

Industries:
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass,
armaments

Industrial production growth rate:
9.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
79.14 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 76.1%
hydro: 2.9%
nuclear: 20%
other: 1% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
58.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
24.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
9.8 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
15,240 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - consumption:
203,100 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
26,670 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
182,000 bbl/day (2004)

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

Natural gas - production:
216 million cu m (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$-4.352 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$89.34 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials
and fuel 9% (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 33.5%, Slovakia 8.7%, Austria 5.5%, Poland 5.5%, France
5.3%, UK 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$87.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%,
chemicals 10% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 30%, Russia 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, China 5.1%, Poland 5%,
Italy 4.8%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$30.99 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$50.2 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.4 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion
funds (2004-06)

Currency (code):
Czech koruna (CZK)

Currency code:
CZK

Exchange rates:
koruny per US dollar - 22.3072 (2006), 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004),
28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Czech Republic

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,217,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.776 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech
telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily;
growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones is particularly
vigorous
domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber
systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
(ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2
Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)

Radios:
3,159,134 (December 2000)

Television broadcast stations:
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:
3,405,834 (December 2000)

Internet country code:
.cz

Internet hosts:
1,267,265 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
more than 300 (2000)

Internet users:
5.1 million (2005)

Transportation Czech Republic

Airports:
121 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 49 (2006)

Heliports:
2 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 9,572 km
standard gauge: 9,473 km 1.435-m gauge (2,951 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 127,747 km
paved: 127,747 km (including 518 km of expressways) (2003)

Waterways:
664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava and Oder rivers)
(2005)

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Military Czech Republic

Military branches:
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes
air forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; on-going
transformation of military service into a fully professional,
all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription began in
January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by 2007 (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,414,728
females age 18-49: 2,329,412 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,996,631
females age 18-49: 1,923,508 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 66,583
females age 18-49: 63,363 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.17 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.81% FY05

Transnational Issues Czech Republic

Disputes - international:
in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of
Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic
confiscated in 1945 as German property; individual Sudeten Germans
seek restitution for property confiscated in connection with their
expulsion from Czechoslovakia after World War II; Austrian
anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian
border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in
the Czech Republic

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit
point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of
synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money
laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Denmark

Introduction Denmark

Background:
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European
power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is
participating in the general political and economic integration of
Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973.
However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the
European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic
and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues
concerning certain justice and home affairs.

Geography Denmark

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a
peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major
islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

Geographic coordinates:
56 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 43,094 sq km
land: 42,394 sq km
water: 700 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest
of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major
islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and
Greenland

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

Land boundaries:
total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km

Coastline:
7,314 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

Terrain:
low and flat to gently rolling plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel
and sand

Land use:
arable land: 52.59%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 47.22% (2005)

Irrigated land:
4,490 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of
Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are
protected from the sea by a system of dikes

Environment - current issues:
air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions;
nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and
surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and
North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater
Copenhagen

People Denmark

Population:
5,450,661 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.7% (male 523,257/female 496,697)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,815,240/female 1,787,406)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 355,656/female 472,405) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 38.9 years
female: 40.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.33% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.79 years
male: 75.49 years
female: 80.22 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Danish

Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%,
Muslim 2%

Languages:
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small
minority)
note: English is the predominant second language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

Government Denmark

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form: Danmark

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
name: Copenhagen
geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 2
boroughs* (amtskommuner, singular - amtskommune); Arhus, Bornholm,
Frederiksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavn
(Copenhagen)*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde,
Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg
note: as a result of an extensive 2005 local government reform, with
2006 being a transition year, 271 municipalities will be merged to
98 by 1 January 2007, and the 14 counties will be reorganized into
five regions

Independence:
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became
a constitutional monarchy

National holiday:
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally
viewed as the National Day

Constitution:
5 June 1849 adoption of original constitution; a major overhaul of
5 June 1953 allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief
of state

Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir
Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26
May 1968)
head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27
November 2001)
cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats, including 2
from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by
popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 29%,
Social Democrats 25.9%, Danish People's Party 13.2%, Conservative
Party 10.3%, Social Liberal Party 9.2%, Socialist People's Party 6%,
Unity List 3.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 52, Social Democrats
47, Danish People's Party 24, Conservative Party 18, Social Liberal
Party 17, Socialist People's Party 11, Unity List 6; note - does not
include the 2 seats from Greenland and the 2 seats from the Faroe
Islands

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch for life)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrats (was Christian People's Party) [Bodil KORNBEK];
Conservative Party (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party)
[Bendt BENDTSEN]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal
Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Red-Green Unity List (bloc includes
Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers'
Party) [collective leadership]; Social Democratic Party [Helle
THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party (sometimes called the
Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED, leader; Soren BALD, chairman];
Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO,
NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU
(observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN
chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James P. CAIN
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen
mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716
telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00
FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23

Flag description:
red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the
vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that
design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently
adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway,
and Sweden

Economy Denmark

Economy - overview:
The Danish economy is undergoing strong expansion fueled by private
consumption growth, low unemployment, rising real wages, and a
strong increase in house prices. This thoroughly modern market
economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and
corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures,
comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence
on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and
enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government
objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further
privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in
meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for
participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the
European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but Denmark has decided
not to join 12 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish
krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic growth gained momentum in
2004 and the upturn continued through 2006. Because of high GDP per
capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability,
the Danish people enjoy living standards topped by no other nation.
A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of
workers to retirees.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$198.5 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$256.3 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 24.6%
services: 74% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.91 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 21%
services: 76% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
23.2 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $147 billion
expenditures: $138.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $4.6
billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
28.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish

Industries:
iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing,
machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing,
electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products,
shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical
equipment

Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
38.02 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 82.7%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 17.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
32.56 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
11.5 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
8.7 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
391,400 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
185,300 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
332,100 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
195,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.23 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
99.99 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$4.941 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$93.93 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products,
fish, chemicals, furniture, ships, windmills

Exports - partners:
Germany 17.6%, Sweden 13.2%, UK 8.7%, US 6.4%, France 5.5%,
Netherlands 5.3%, Norway 5.1% (2005)

Imports:
$89.32 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for
industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
Germany 20.5%, Sweden 13.8%, Norway 6.6%, Netherlands 6.5%, UK
5.9%, China 4.7%, France 4.2%, Italy 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$30.38 billion (August 2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$405 billion (30 June 2006)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $2 billion (2004)

Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code:
DKK

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.93667 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
(2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Denmark

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.469 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
international: country code - 45; 18 submarine fiber-optic cables
linking Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
stations - 6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
(Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (1997)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
6.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 51 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
3.121 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.dk

Internet hosts:
2,415,530 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (2000)

Internet users:
3,762,500 (2005)

Transportation Denmark

Airports:
92 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 61 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 12 km; gas 3,931 km; oil 626 km; oil/gas/water 2 km
(2006)

Railways:
total: 2,673 km
standard gauge: 2,673 km 1.435-m gauge (601 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 72,257 km
paved: 72,257 km (including 1,032 km of expressways) (2005)

Waterways:
400 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
total: 293 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,986,735 GRT/9,936,431 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 63, chemical tanker 48, container 86,
liquefied gas 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
40, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8,
specialized tanker 4
foreign-owned: 25 (Canada 1, Germany 13, Greece 5, Greenland 1,
Norway 3, Sweden 1, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 409 (Antigua and Barbuda 14, Bahamas
59, Belgium 4, Cayman Islands 5, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Estonia 2,
France 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Gibraltar 1, Hong
Kong 6, Isle of Man 53, North Korea 1, Liberia 8, Lithuania 10,
Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 2, Netherlands 9, Netherlands
Antilles 1, Norway 32, Panama 34, Portugal 4, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 14, Singapore 52, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 4, UK
46, US 24, Vanuatu 6, Venezuela 3, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aalborg, Aarhus, Asnaesvaerkets, Copenhagen, Elsinore, Ensted,
Esbjerg, Fredericia, Frederikshavn, Kalundborg, Odense, Roenne

Military Denmark

Military branches:
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet,
Tactical Air Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service;
conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from four to
12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to
mobilization units following completion of their conscript service;
women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,175,108
females age 18-49: 1,150,627 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 955,168
females age 18-49: 935,643 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 31,317
females age 18-49: 29,558 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$3,271.6 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (2004)

Transnational Issues Denmark

Disputes - international:
Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line; Iceland,
the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands'
continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study
proposals for full independence; uncontested sovereignty dispute
with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between
Ellesmere Island and Greenland

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Dhekelia

Introduction Dhekelia

Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the
independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and
jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign
Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base
Area.

Geography Dhekelia

Location:
on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta

Geographic coordinates:
34 59 N, 33 45 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: NA; note - boundary with Cyprus is being resurveyed

Coastline:
27.5 km

Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Environment - current issues:
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and
autumn

Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

People Dhekelia

Population:
no indigenous personnel
note: approximately 2,200 military personnel are on the base; there
are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military
personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and
Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there

Languages:
English, Greek

Government Dhekelia

Country name:
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia

Dependency status:
overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is
also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment; located in Akrotiri
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council
1960, effective 16 August 1960

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
(since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
Defence
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
appointed by the monarch

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

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

Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used

Economy Dhekelia

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military
and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured
goods must be imported.

Industries:
none

Currency (code):
Cypriot pound (CYP)

Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005),
0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002)

Communications Dhekelia

Radio broadcast stations:
FM 1 (located in Akrotiri)
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

Television broadcast stations:
British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel
satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

Military Dhekelia

Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by
a roadway

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Djibouti

Introduction Djibouti

Background:
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in
1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party
state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among
the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in
2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels
and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first
multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of
Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in
2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth
of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for
goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present
leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a
significant military presence in the country, but is also developing
stronger ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base
in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on
terrorism.

Geography Djibouti

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between
Eritrea and Somalia

Geographic coordinates:
11 30 N, 43 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 23,000 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km

Coastline:
314 km

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

Climate:
desert; torrid, dry

Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m

Natural resources:
geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt,
diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Land use:
arable land: 0.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.96% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the
Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land;
desertification; endangered species

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

Geography - note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to
Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly
wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

People Djibouti

Population:
486,530 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.3% (male 105,760/female 105,068)
15-64 years: 53.3% (male 135,119/female 124,367)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,183/female 8,033) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.02% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 94.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.17 years
male: 41.86 years
female: 44.52 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
690 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified
among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a
negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens
who have close contact with birds (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian

Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.9%
male: 78%
female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

Government Djibouti

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 15 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil,
Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Constitution:
multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and
Islamic law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4
March 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next
to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent
of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats;
members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held January 2008)
election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats -
RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic
Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development
Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de
l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress
Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); Peoples
Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican
Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; Union for
Democracy and Justice or UDJ

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD,
PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition
coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini AHMED]

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
FAX: [253] 35 39 40

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with
a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red
five-pointed star in the center

Economy Djibouti