Chapter XXI: Front Matter (21)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey),
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco,
Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890
FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052
consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red
with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag;
similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear
a coat of arms

Economy Ecuador

Economy - overview:
Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have accounted
for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-third of central
government budget revenues in recent years. Consequently,
fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic
impact. In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered its worst economic
crisis, with natural disasters and sharp declines in world petroleum
prices driving Ecuador's economy into free fall in 1999. Real GDP
contracted by more than 6%, with poverty worsening significantly.
The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its
external debt later that year. The currency depreciated by some 70%
in 1999, and, on the brink of hyperinflation, the MAHAUD government
announced it would dollarize the economy. A coup, however, ousted
MAHAUD from office in January 2000, and after a short-lived junta
failed to garner military support, Vice President Gustavo NOBOA took
over the presidency. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of
structural reforms that also provided the framework for the adoption
of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the
economy, and growth returned to its pre-crisis levels in the years
that followed. Under the administration of Lucio GUTIERREZ - January
2003 to April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum
prices. However, the government under Alfredo PALACIO has reversed
economic reforms that reduced Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum
price swings and financial crises, allowing the central government
greater access to oil windfalls and disbursing surplus retirement
funds.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60.48 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$32.57 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.3%
industry: 33.5%
services: 60.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
4.57 million (urban) (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 24%
services: 68% (2001)

Unemployment rate:
10.6% official rate; but underemployment of 47% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
41% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32%
note: data for urban households only (October 2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42
note: data are for urban households (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11.5 billion
expenditures: planned $10.46 billion; including capital expenditures
of $1.6 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
36% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca),
plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy
products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

Industries:
petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
12.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 81%
hydro: 19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
12.95 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
35 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
1.642 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
493,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
148,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
387,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
5.115 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$727 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$12.56 billion (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp

Exports - partners:
US 50.6%, Peru 7.9%, Germany 4.3%, Colombia 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$10.81 billion (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
vehicles, medicinal products, telecommunications equipment,
electricity

Imports - partners:
US 22.1%, Colombia 14.8%, Venezuela 7.7%, Brazil 7.2%, China 5.2%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.514 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$18.1 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$216 million (2002)

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
1 (2006), 25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Ecuador

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,701,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.246 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
international: country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)

Radios:
5 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
2.5 million (2001)

Internet country code:
.ec

Internet hosts:
19,027 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
31 (2001)

Internet users:
616,000 (2005)

Transportation Ecuador

Airports:
359 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 98
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 261
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 228 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,386 km; refined products
1,185 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 966 km
narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 43,197 km
paved: 6,467 km
unpaved: 36,730 km (2004)

Waterways:
1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum
tanker 21, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar

Military Ecuador

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month service
obligation (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,792,770
females age 20-49: 2,849,519 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,338,428
females age 20-49: 2,380,327 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 133,922
females age 20-49: 129,758 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$650 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Ecuador

Disputes - international:
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across
Ecuador's shared border and caused over 20,000 refugees to flee into
Ecuador in 2004

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,851 (Colombia), note - UNHCR
estimates as many as 250,000 Columbians are seeking asylum in
Ecuador, many of whom do not register as refugees for fear of
deportation (2006)

Illicit drugs:
significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and
Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit
narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug
traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak
anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern
frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Egypt

Introduction Egypt

Background:
The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled
with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west,
allowed for the development of one of the world's great
civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series
of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last
native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were
replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who
introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who
ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the
Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the
completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important
world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of
Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman
Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in
1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The
completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake
Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the
agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the
largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on
the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The
government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium
through economic reform and massive investment in communications and
physical infrastructure.

Geography Egypt

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and
the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the
Asian Sinai Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:
27 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
Sudan 1,273 km

Coastline:
2,450 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:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone,
gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Land use:
arable land: 2.92%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 96.58% (2005)

Irrigated land:
34,220 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides;
hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms,
sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands;
increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification;
oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats;
other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and
industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources
away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid
growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

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

Geography - note:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link
between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;
prone to influxes of refugees

People Egypt

Population:
78,887,007 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 13,172,641/female 12,548,346)
15-64 years: 62.9% (male 25,102,754/female 24,519,698)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,510,280/female 2,033,288) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 24 years
male: 23.6 years
female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.75% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.33 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.29 years
male: 68.77 years
female: 73.93 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
700 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic groups:
Egyptian 98%, Berber, Nubian, Bedouin, and Beja 1%, Greek,
Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%

Religions:
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated
classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.7%
male: 68.3%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Government Egypt

Country name:
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Cairo
geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last
Thursday in September

Administrative divisions:
26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah,
Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al
Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al
Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, As Suways, Ash Sharqiyah,
Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash
Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj

Independence:
28 February 1922 (from UK)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

Constitution:
11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980 and 25 May 2005

Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees
validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October
1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no
term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a
constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a
multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated
by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a
national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September
1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7
September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011
election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote
- Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%

Legislative branch:
bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis
al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by
the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory
Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative
role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the
president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half
of the elected members)
elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and
20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December
2010); Advisory Council - last held May-June 2004 (next to be held
May-June 2007)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1,
independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10
seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party or NDP [Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (governing
party)]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat
EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Mahmoud ABAZA]; Tomorrow Party
[Naji AL-GHATRIFI]
note: formation of political parties must be approved by the
government

Political pressure groups and leaders:
despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the
technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni MUBARAK's
potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated
limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two
terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its
influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in
practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are
officially sanctioned

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, COMESA,
EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nabil FAHMY
chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr.
embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300
FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the
national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with
a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name
of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is
based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria,
which has two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus
an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white
band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

Economy Egypt

Economy - overview:
Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is
bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic
activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has
reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President
NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF reduced personal and
corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized
several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP grew about 5%
per year in 2005-06. Despite these achievements, the government has
failed to raise living standards for the average Egyptian, and has
had to continue providing subsidies for basic necessities. The
subsidies have contributed to a growing budget deficit - more than
10% of GDP each year - and represent a significant drain on the
economy. Foreign direct investment remains low. To achieve higher
GDP growth the NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive
pursuit of reform, especially in the energy sector. Egypt's export
sectors - particularly natural gas - have bright prospects.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$328.1 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$84.51 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,200 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14.7%
industry: 35.5%
services: 49.8% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
21.8 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 17%
services: 51% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10.3% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
20% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.4 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $21.32 billion
expenditures: $31.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.7
billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
102.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats

Industries:
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures

Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
91.72 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 81%
hydro: 19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
84.49 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
700,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
590,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
134,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.6 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.657 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$2.697 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$24.22 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products,
chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 13%, Italy 9.2%, Spain 7.7%, Syria 5.5%, France 4.9%, Germany
4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, UK 4% (2005)

Imports:
$35.86 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 10.5%, Germany 7%, China 6.4%, France 6.3%, Italy 5.7%, Saudi
Arabia 4.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$26.3 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$29.59 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $1.12 billion (2002)

Currency (code):
Egyptian pound (EGP)

Currency code:
EGP

Exchange rates:
Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 5.75 (2006), 5.78 (2005), 6.1962
(2004), 5.8509 (2003), 4.4997 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Egypt

Telephones - main lines in use:
10,396,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
14,045,134 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading
during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular
service are available
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay
international: country code - 20; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1
Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan;
microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios:
20.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
98 (September 1995)

Televisions:
7.7 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.eg

Internet hosts:
2,254 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
5 million (2005)

Transportation Egypt

Airports:
88 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Heliports:
3 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 464 km; condensate/gas 94 km; gas 6,021 km; liquid
petroleum gas 897 km; oil 5,120 km; oil/gas/water 36 km; refined
products 897 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 5,063 km
standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 92,370 km
paved: 74,820 km
unpaved: 17,550 km (2004)

Waterways:
3,500 km
note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,
and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including
approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m
(2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 76 ships (1000 GRT or over) 987,524 GRT/1,467,139 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 33, container 2, passenger/cargo 5,
petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 2)
registered in other countries: 49 (Bolivia 2, Cambodia 8, Georgia 8,
Honduras 4, North Korea 2, Panama 16, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 3, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Sierra Leone
1, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said, Suez, Zeit

Military Egypt

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for conscript military service; three-year service
obligation (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,347,560
females age 18-49: 17,683,904 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,540,234
females age 18-49: 14,939,378 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 802,920
females age 18-49: 764,176 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.44 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (2004)

Transnational Issues Egypt

Disputes - international:
Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the two triangular
areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along
the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt
is developing the Hala'ib Triangle north of the Treaty line; since
the attack on Taba and other Egyptian resort towns on the Red Sea in
October 2004, Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with
Israel and the Gaza Strip; Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to
some 70,000 persons who identify themselves as Palestinians but who
largely lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition
as refugees

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 100,000 (Iraq), 70,255 (Palestinian
Territories), 13,446 (Sudan) (2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked
from Eastern Europe to Israel for the purpose of sexual
exploitation; these women generally arrive as tourists and are
subsequently trafficked through the Sinai Desert by Bedouin tribes;
men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are believed to be
trafficked through the Sinai Desert to Israel and Europe for labor
exploitation; some Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked
within the country to work as domestic servants or laborers in the
agriculture industry
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to
address trafficking over the past year, particularly in the area of
law enforcement

Illicit drugs:
transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and
opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for
Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax
enforcement of financial regulations

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@El Salvador

Introduction El Salvador

Background:
El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the
Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost
about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the
government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for
military and political reforms.

Geography El Salvador

Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates:
13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:
total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline:
307 km

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

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 31.37%
permanent crops: 11.88%
other: 56.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:
450 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive
earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to
hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of
soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline
on Caribbean Sea

People El Salvador

Population:
6,822,378 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.3% (male 1,265,080/female 1,212,216)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,900,372/female 2,092,251)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 156,292/female 196,167) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 20.7 years
female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.72% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.49 years
male: 67.88 years
female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout
the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million
Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador

Languages:
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Government El Salvador

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: San Salvador
geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

Administrative divisions:
14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz,
La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana,
Sonsonate, Usulutan

Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:
23 December 1983

Legal system:
based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June
2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1
June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21
March 2004 (next to be held March 2009)
election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president;
percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik
HANDAL (FMLN) 35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year
terms)
elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the
Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER, secretary
general]; Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United Democratic
Center or CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Farabundo Marti
National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ, coordinator
general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA,
president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio
SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene
AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar
HERNANDEZ Carcamo, coordinator general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or
SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and
other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of
Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or
UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union
of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers
Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL;
business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or
ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran
Industrial Association or ASI

International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer),
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey),
Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales
(Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington, DC
consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La
Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 2278-4444
FAX: [503] 2278-5522

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua,
which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it
features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on
top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of
Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern
centered in the white band

Economy El Salvador

Economy - overview:
The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third
largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping
to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to
open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize
the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006 of the
Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El
Salvador was the first to ratify, has strenthened an already
positive export trend. The trade deficit has been offset by annual
remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - equivalent to more than
15% of GDP - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as
its currency in 2001, El Salvador has lost control over monetary
policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal
policy. The current government has pursued economic diversification,
with some success in promoting textile production, international
port services, and tourism. It is committed to opening the economy
to trade and investment, and has embarked on a wave of
privatizations extending to telecom, electricity distribution,
banking, and pension funds.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$15.14 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 29.6%
services: 60.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.856 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17.1%
industry: 17.1%
services: 65.8% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2006
est.)

Population below poverty line:
36.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
52.5 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $356.6 million
expenditures: $384.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
44.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef,
dairy products; shrimp

Industries:
food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer,
textiles, furniture, light metals

Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
4.174 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44%
hydro: 30.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 25.1% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
4.229 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
109 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
456 million kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
43,000 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:
$-1.059 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$3.686 billion (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles,
chemicals, electricity

Exports - partners:
US 61%, Guatemala 12.1%, Honduras 7.4%, Nicaragua 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$7.326 billion (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs,
petroleum, electricity

Imports - partners:
US 43.4%, Guatemala 8.2%, Mexico 7.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.951 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$8.841 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003)

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
8.75 (2006), the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications El Salvador

Telephones - main lines in use:
971,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.412 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
System

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
2.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (1997)

Televisions:
600,000 (1990)

Internet country code:
.sv

Internet hosts:
4,682 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2000)

Internet users:
637,100 (2005)

Transportation El Salvador

Airports:
75 (2006)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 71
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 56 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Railways:
total: 283 km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by
disuse and lack of maintenance (2005)

Roadways:
total: 10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km
unpaved: 8,043 km (1999)

Waterways:
Rio Lempa partially navigable (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco

Military El Salvador

Military branches:
Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month
service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,391,278
females age 18-49: 1,542,323 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 960,315
females age 18-49: 1,310,466 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 70,286
females age 18-49: 69,526 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$161.7 million (2005 est.)

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

Transnational Issues El Salvador

Disputes - international:
in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the
delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
Salvador-Honduras boundary, but despite Organization of American
States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador
continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ
decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana
produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Equatorial Guinea

Introduction Equatorial Guinea

Background:
Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of
Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus
five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African
continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the
country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although
nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002
presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative
elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost
total control over the political system and has discouraged
political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid
economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves,
and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest
oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil
production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in
recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's
living standards.

Geography Equatorial Guinea

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and
Gabon

Geographic coordinates:
2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 28,051 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline:
296 km

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

Climate:
tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain:
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum,
sand and gravel, clay

Land use:
arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues:
tap water is not potable; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
insular and continental regions widely separated

People Equatorial Guinea

Population:
540,109 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.8 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.05% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.54 years
male: 48 years
female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,900 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
370 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups:
Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily
Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Religions:
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan
practices

Languages:
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi,
Ibo

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7%
male: 93.3%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Government Equatorial Guinea

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee
equatoriale
local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale
former: Spanish Guinea

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Malabo
geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko
Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Independence:
12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution:
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January
1995

Legal system:
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA
(since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono
NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be
held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers
appointed by the president
election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president;
percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino
Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de
Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PDGE 98, CPDS 2
note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all
executive authority in the president

Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:
Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO
Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro
OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress of
Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of
Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note
- relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries
should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 220 15 00
FAX: [237] 220 16 20

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms
centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow
six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore
islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below
which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity,
Peace, Justice)

Economy Equatorial Guinea

Economy - overview:
The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have
contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry,
farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence
farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea
counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect
of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished
potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its
intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number
of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been
cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No
longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil
revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow"
fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses,
for the most part, are owned by government officials and their
family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron
ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong
in 2006, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the third highest per
capita income in the world, after Luxembourg and Bermuda.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$25.69 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.644 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
18.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$50,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 92.6%
services: 4.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Unemployment rate:
30% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
34.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.752 billion
expenditures: $1.424 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
4.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil
nuts; livestock; timber

Industries:
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas

Industrial production growth rate:
30% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
26 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 94.3%
hydro: 5.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
24.18 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
420,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1,220 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$175 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$8.961 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa

Exports - partners:
US 24.6%, China 21.8%, Spain 10.9%, Canada 7.3%, Taiwan 7.2%,
Portugal 5.5%, Netherlands 5.2%, Brazil 4.6%, France 4% (2005)

Imports:
$2.543 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment

Imports - partners:
US 24.5%, Italy 20.5%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire
8.6%, UK 6.9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.235 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$289 million (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code:
XAF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar -
522.594 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99
(2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Equatorial Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
96,900 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 240; international communications from
Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)

Radios:
180,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)

Televisions:
4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gq

Internet hosts:
19 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
5,000 (2005)

Transportation Equatorial Guinea

Airports:
4 (2006)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 2,880 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Malabo

Military Equatorial Guinea

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 104,563
females age 18-49: 109,923 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 56,462
females age 18-49: 59,260 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$152.2 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Equatorial Guinea

Disputes - international:
in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of
Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of
Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an
island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime
coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi
allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been
pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the
sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a
maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Equatorial Guinea is a transit and destination
country for women and children trafficked for forced labor,
involuntary domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation
from surrounding countries - primarily Benin, Nigeria, Mali, and
Cameroon; victims work in the agricultural and commercial sectors of
Malabo and Bata, where demand is high due to a booming oil sector;
children work as farmhands, street vendors, or household servants;
girls and women are also trafficked for commercial sexual
exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is placed on the
Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide adequate evidence of
concrete measures to address trafficking over the past year

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Eritrea

Introduction Eritrea

Background:
Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation.
Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later
sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with
Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was
overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year
border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN
auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping
operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on
the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to
resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final
demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.

Geography Eritrea

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 39 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km