Chapter LXVI: Front Matter (66)

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

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

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Virgin Islands

Introduction Virgin Islands

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

Geography Virgin Islands

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

Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

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

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
188 km

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

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

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

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

Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf

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

Irrigated land:
NA

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

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources

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

People Virgin Islands

Population:
108,605 (July 2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander

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

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

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

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

Government Virgin Islands

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

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

Government type:
NA

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

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

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

Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system:
based on US laws

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
head of government: Governor John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007)
cabinet: NA
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections
for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant
governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year
terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21
November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote -
John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7%

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

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
IOC, UPU

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

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

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

Economy Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP
and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The
manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's
largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural
sector is small, with most food being imported. International
business and financial services are small but growing components of
the economy. The islands are vulnerable to substantial damage from
storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to
support construction projects in the private sector, to expand
tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

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

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

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

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

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

Labor force:
43,980 (2004 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
6.2% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

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

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
980 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
911.4 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
17,110 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
115,000 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.)

Exports:
$4.234 billion (2001)

Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Imports:
$4.609 billion (2001)

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

Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Virgin Islands

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
64,200 (2004)

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

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

Radios:
107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (2006)

Televisions:
68,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vi

Internet hosts:
3,855 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
30,000 (2002)

Transportation Virgin Islands

Airports:
2 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 1,257 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay

Military Virgin Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Wake Island

Introduction Wake Island

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

Geography Wake Island

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

Geographic coordinates:
19 17 N, 166 39 E

Map references:
Oceania

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
19.3 km

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

Climate:
tropical

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

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

Natural resources:
none

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

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

People Wake Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent along
with 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conduct
clean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2006 est.)

Government Wake Island

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

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

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Wake Island

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to military
personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Communications Wake Island

Telephone system:
general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN circuits off
the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
provided by satellite (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
0
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
provided by satellite (2005)

Transportation Wake Island

Airports:
1 (2006)

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

Ports and terminals:
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Transportation - note:
there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake
Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency
landing is available

Military Wake Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is
responsible for overall administration and operation of the island;
the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile
Defense Agency (MDA)

Transnational Issues Wake Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Marshall Islands

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Wallis and Futuna

Introduction Wallis and Futuna

Background:
The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and
Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a
protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of
the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.

Geography Wallis and Futuna

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
13 18 S, 176 12 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island),
Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
129 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season
(May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity);
average temperature 26.6 degrees C

Terrain:
volcanic origin; low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 7.14%
permanent crops: 35.71%
other: 57.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain)
largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel
source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the
mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion;
there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of
natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
both island groups have fringing reefs

People Wallis and Futuna

Population:
16,025 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
NA

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
Caledonia (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian

Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Languages:
Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%,
French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50%
male: 50%
female: 50% (1969 est.)

Government Wallis and Futuna

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
local short form: Wallis et Futuna

Dependency status:
overseas territory of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French legal system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Administrator Richard DIDIER (since 19
July 2006)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione
KANIMOA (since January 2001)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three
members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the
Territorial Assembly
note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by
the members of the assembly

Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7
note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September
2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now
UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002
(next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1

Judicial branch:
none; justice generally administered under French law by the high
administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Political parties and leaders:
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or
MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU];
Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union
Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie
Francaise or UDF

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
SPC, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles
triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the
islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles
are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of
France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist
quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag

Economy Wallis and Futuna

Economy - overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
about 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and
vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
population is employed in government. Revenues come from French
Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South
Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New
Caledonia.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2004 est.)

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

Labor force:
3,104 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 4%
services: 16% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
15.2% (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $29,730
expenditures: $31,330 (2004)

Public debt:
5.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish

Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Exports:
$47,450 f.o.b. (2004)

Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials

Exports - partners:
Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2004)

Imports:
$61.17 million f.o.b. (2004)

Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2004)

Debt - external:
$3.67 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
assistance from France

Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:
XPF

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.01
(2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Wallis and Futuna

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2000)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.wf

Internet hosts:
1 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
900 (2002)

Transportation Wallis and Futuna

Airports:
2 (2006)

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

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

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 110,428 GRT/56,830 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 7
foreign-owned: 8 (France 5, French Polynesia 2, US 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Leava, Mata-Utu

Military Wallis and Futuna

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Wallis and Futuna

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@West Bank

Background:
The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington in September 1993,
provided for a transitional period of Palestinian interim
self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. A transfer of
authority to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the Gaza Strip and
Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and, in additional
areas of the West Bank, pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
Agreement. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of
Gaza and the West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year
hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out a
year later. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia)
presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005
based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states,
Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent
status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and
accusations that both sides have not followed through on their
commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in
late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A
month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh
Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In
September 2005, Israel withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and
dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and four
northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls
maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November
2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah
border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and
Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement,
HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The
international community has refused to accept the HAMAS-led
government because it does not recognize Israel, will not renounce
violence, and refuses to honor previous peace agreements between
Israel and the PA. Since March 2006, President Abbas has had little
success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform
acceptable to the international community so as to lift the economic
siege on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene in late 2006 as
a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and
Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members.

Geography West Bank

Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
water: 220 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm
to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren
in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97%
other: 64.13% (2001)

Irrigated land:
150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)

Natural hazards:
droughts

Environment - current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment

Geography - note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem
settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August
2005 est.)

People West Bank

Population:
2,460,492
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 541,110/female 515,202)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 676,427/female 644,347)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 35,440/female 47,966) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.3 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.06% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
2.8 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.15 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.27 years
male: 71.5 years
female: 75.15 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA

Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%

Religions:
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%

Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 96.3%
female: 87.4% (2003 est.)

Government West Bank

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank

Economy West Bank

Economy - overview:
The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian
Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic
conditions since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The
downturn has been largely the result of Israeli closure policies -
the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents
in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In
2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in
PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of
administrative structures, and widespread business closures.
International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and
Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy
and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations.
In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to
continued closures both within the West Bank and externally -
stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial
embargo of the PA since HAMAS took office in March 2006 has
interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of
PA salaries.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.327 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$3.45 billion (2003)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 18.2%
services: 73.9%
note: includes Gaza Strip (2005 est.)

Labor force:
568,000 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 29%
services: 55% (2005)

Unemployment rate:
20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Population below poverty line:
45.7% including Gaza Strip (2005)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $1.23 billion
expenditures: $1.64 billion; including capital expenditures of $44
million ; note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2005)

Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Industries:
generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles,
soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the
Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the
settlements and industrial centers

Industrial production growth rate:
2.4%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East
Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to
Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most
Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian
municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own
electricity from small power plants

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

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh

Exports:
$313 million f.o.b.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004)

Exports - commodities:
olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Exports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)

Imports:
$2.37 billion c.i.f.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004)

Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.14 billion; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004)

Currency (code):
new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:
ILS; JOD

Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004),
4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications West Bank

Telephones - main lines in use:
357,300 (includes Gaza Strip) (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
8 (2005)

Televisions:
NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)

Internet country code:
.ps

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (1999)

Internet users:
243,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Transportation West Bank

Airports:
3 (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)

Roadways:
total: 4,996 km
paved: 4,996 km
note: includes Gaza Strip (2004)

Military West Bank

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues West Bank

Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel
continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along
parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew
from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005;
since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision
Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor
ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
region

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 705,207 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Western Sahara

Background:
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara
(formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in
1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991
UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status
has been repeatedly postponed.

Geography Western Sahara

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Mauritania and Morocco

Geographic coordinates:
24 30 N, 13 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Coastline:
1,110 km

Maritime claims:
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce
fog and heavy dew

Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
restricting visibility

Environment - current issues:
sparse water and lack of arable land

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

People Western Sahara

Population:
273,008 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
NA

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Sex ratio:
NA

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
during the transmission season (typically April through November)
(2007)

Nationality:
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups:
Arab, Berber

Religions:
Muslim

Languages:
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Literacy:
NA

Government Western Sahara

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara

Government type:
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved;
territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front
for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in
February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed
ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in
April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to
its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector
shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control;
the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of
African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued
sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6
September 1991

Capital:
none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage:
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed

Executive branch:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none

Economy Western Sahara

Economy - overview:
Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate
mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The
territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural
production, and most of the food for the urban population must be
imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the
Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other
economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the European
Union signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European
vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed
waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in
2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western
Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006, the
Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed
territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario
resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$NA

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$NA

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40%

Labor force:
12,000

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 50%
industry and services: 50%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

Agriculture - products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep,
goats (kept by nomads); fish

Industries:
phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
85 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
79.05 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,800 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.)

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
phosphates 62%

Exports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code:
MAD

Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744
(2003), 11.0206 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Western Sahara

Telephones - main lines in use:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
Rabat, Morocco

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

Radios:
56,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
6,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.eh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Western Sahara

Airports:
11 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Military Western Sahara

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$992.2 million

Transnational Issues Western Sahara

Disputes - international:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty
remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the
Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a
referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all
brokered proposals

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@World

Background:
Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world
wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast
colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from
the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the
landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance
and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in
North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the
environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and
water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h)
the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of
the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population
continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930,
3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6
billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential
growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances
in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal
weapons of war).

Geography World

Map references:
Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World, Standard
Time Zones of the World

Area:
total: 510.072 million sq km
land: 148.94 million sq km
water: 361.132 million sq km
note: 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land

Area - comparative:
land area about 16 times the size of the US

Land boundaries:
the land boundaries in the world total 250,708 km (not counting
shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border
14 other countries
note: 44 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include:
Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic,
Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay,
Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia,
Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly
landlocked

Coastline:
356,000 km
note: 98 nations and other entities are islands that border no other
countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and
Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Baker Island, Barbados, Bassas da India, Bermuda, Bouvet Island,
British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde,
Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Cyprus,
Dominica, Europa Island, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe
Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
Lands, Glorioso Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard
Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man,
Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll,
Juan de Nova Island, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives,
Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated
States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa
Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern
Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines,
Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tromelin Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Maritime claims:
a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make
the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as
described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive
economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of
continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary
situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from
extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200nm

Climate:
a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates -
bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that
separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

Terrain:
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the
Pacific Ocean

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is
the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific
Ocean
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
(especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
beginning to address

Land use:
arable land: 13.31%
permanent crops: 4.71%
other: 81.98% (2005)

Irrigated land:
2,770,980 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural
disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)

Environment - current issues:
large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters,
pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of
vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of
wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion

Geography - note:
the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just
about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for the universe

People World

Population:
6,525,170,264 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.4% (male 919,219,446/female 870,242,271)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,152,066,888/female 2,100,334,722)
65 years and over: 7.4% (male 213,160,216/female 270,146,721)
note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus
a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and
the total for world age structure (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.6 years
male: 27 years
female: 28.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.14% (2006 est.)

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

Death rate:
8.67 deaths/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: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 48.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 50.98 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.77 years
male: 63.16 years
female: 66.47 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Religions:
Christians 33.03% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%, Protestants
5.8%, Orthodox 3.42%, Anglicans 1.23%), Muslims 20.12%, Hindus
13.34%, Buddhists 5.89%, Sikhs 0.39%, Jews 0.23%, other religions
12.61%, non-religious 12.03%, atheists 2.36% (2004 est.)

Languages:
Mandarin Chinese 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi 2.82%,
Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese 1.99%,
Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21% (2004 est.)
note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82%
male: 87%
female: 77%
note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults
are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the
illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low
literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West
Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around
one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)

Government World

Administrative divisions:
268 nations, dependent areas, and other entities

Legal system:
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Economy World

Economy - overview:
Global output rose by 4.4% in 2005, led by China (9.3%), India
(7.6%), and Russia (5.9%). The other 14 successor nations of the
USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations again experienced widely
divergent growth rates; the three Baltic nations continued as strong
performers, in the 7% range of growth. Growth results posted by the
major industrial countries varied from no gain for Italy to a strong
gain by the United States (3.5%). The developing nations also varied
in their growth results, with many countries facing population
increases that erode gains in output. Externally, the nation-state,
as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing
control over international flows of people, goods, funds, and
technology. Internally, the central government often finds its
control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements -
typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in many of the
successor states of the former Soviet Union, in the former
Yugoslavia, in India, in Iraq, in Indonesia, and in Canada.
Externally, the central government is losing decisionmaking powers
to international bodies, notably the EU. In Western Europe,
governments face the difficult political problem of channeling
resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment
and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition of 80
million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is
exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification,
underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own
internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries
devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer
areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view,
are becoming further marginalized. The introduction of the euro as
the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while
paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic
risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political
differences among the participating nations. The terrorist attacks
on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a further growing risk to
global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of
resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. The
opening of war in March 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq
added new uncertainties to global economic prospects. After the
coalition victory, the complex political difficulties and the high
economic cost of establishing domestic order in Iraq became major
global problems that continued through 2006.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
GWP (gross world product): $65 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$46.66 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 32%
services: 64% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
3.001 billion (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 41%
industry: 20.7%
services: 38.4% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
unemployment

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 29.9% (2002 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to
20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual
cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation in one Third
World countries (Zimbabwe); inflation rates have declined for most
countries for the last several years, held in check by increasing
international competition from several low wage countries (2005 est.)

Industries:
dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers,
robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment;
most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small
portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to
these technological forces; the accelerated development of new
industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already
grim environmental problems

Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
17.15 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA
hydro: NA
nuclear: NA
other: NA

Electricity - consumption:
16.18 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - exports:
562.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
568.5 billion kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
82.59 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.326 trillion bbl (1 January 2002 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Exports:
$12.45 trillion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services

Exports - partners:
US 15.6%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.7%, France 4.9%, UK 4.7%, Japan
4.5% (2005)

Imports:
$12.08 trillion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services

Imports - partners:
China 9.3%, Germany 9%, US 9%, Japan 6.1%, France 4.2% (2005)

Debt - external:
$44.62 trillion
note: this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt,
both public and private (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$154 billion official development assistance (ODA) (2004)

Communications World

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,263,367,600 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,168,433,600 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA