Chapter XXIV: Part 24

0-14 years: 14.9% (male 100,143/female 94,450) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 420,896/female 462,072) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 76,171/female 153,873) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.6 years male: 36.2 years female: 43.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.632% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.28 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

13.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.56 years male: 67.16 years female: 78.3 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.42 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

7,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian

Ethnic groups:

Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)

Religions:

Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census)

Languages:

Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 17 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.1% of GDP (2004)

Government Estonia

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: Estonia local long form: Eesti Vabariik local short form: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Tallinn geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru) note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses

Independence:

20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:

adopted 28 June 1992

Legal system:

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6

Judicial branch:

National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)

Political parties and leaders:

Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8265

Flag description:

pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

Economy Estonia

Economy - overview:

Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$28.69 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$21.28 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$21,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3% industry: 28.5% services: 68.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

687,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

5% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

34 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

31.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $7.854 billion expenditures: $7.171 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

3.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.46% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$7.158 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.253 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$21.35 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish

Industries:

engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.158 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

7.331 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

3.179 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

400 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Oil - production:

7,430 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

30,440 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

7,000 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

28,170 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$3.771 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$11.08 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)

Exports - partners:

Finland 17.9%, Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 11.4%, Russia 8.9%, Lithuania 5.8%, Germany 5.2%, US 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$14.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

Imports - partners:

Finland 15.9%, Germany 12.8%, Sweden 10.1%, Russia 10%, Latvia 7.6%, Lithuania 6.9%, Poland 4.5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$135.5 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$24.82 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$16.59 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$5.873 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$5.963 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Estonian kroon (EEK)

Currency code:

EEK

Exchange rates:

krooni (EEK) per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003) note: the krooni is pegged to the euro

Communications Estonia

Telephones - main lines in use:

495,500 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.982 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios:

1.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

3 (2001)

Televisions:

605,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.ee

Internet hosts:

645,495 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

38 (2001)

Internet users:

780,000 (2007)

Transportation Estonia

Airports:

19 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 859 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 968 km broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 57,016 km paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways) unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)

Waterways:

320 km (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 29 by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 2, chemical tanker 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Norway 2) registered in other countries: 85 (Antigua and Barbuda 23, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 7, Finland 2, Latvia 2, Liberia 1, Malta 11, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Sweden 2, Vanuatu 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

Military Estonia

Military branches:

Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 306,273 females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 218,448 females age 16-49: 264,187 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 8,322 female: 7,846 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Estonia

Disputes - international:

Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Illicit drugs:

growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Ethiopia

Introduction Ethiopia

Background:

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission in November 2007 remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Geography Ethiopia

Location:

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates:

8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Terrain:

high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m highest point: Ras Dejen 4,533 m

Natural resources:

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 10.01% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 89.34% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,900 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

110 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%) per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management

Environment - international agreements:

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

Geography - note:

landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

People Ethiopia

Population:

82,544,840 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 46% (male 18,922,334/female 19,017,593) 15-64 years: 51.4% (male 20,749,002/female 21,656,509) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 947,323/female 1,252,077) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 16.9 years male: 16.6 years female: 17.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.212% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

43.97 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 82.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 54.99 years male: 52.54 years female: 57.51 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.17 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

4.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1.5 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

120,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian

Ethnic groups:

Oromo 32.1%, Amara 30.1%, Tigraway 6.2%, Somalie 5.9%, Guragie 4.3%, Sidama 3.5%, Welaita 2.4%, other 15.4% (1994 census)

Religions:

Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)

Languages:

Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 50.3% female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2007)

Education expenditures:

6% of GDP (2006)

Government Ethiopia

Country name:

conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia conventional short form: Ethiopia local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik local short form: Ityop'iya former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa abbreviation: FDRE

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

name: Addis Ababa geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 ethnically based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)

Independence:

oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

National holiday:

National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

Constitution:

ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

Legal system:

based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994 constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - 79%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation (or upper chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues) (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or lower chamber responsible for passing legislation) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1, others 6, undeclared 2 note: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did not take their seats

Judicial branch:

Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:

Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamisso] (awarded to AYELE by the National Electoral Board on 11 January 2008, but AYELE has virtually no support among former CUD MPs, other CUD MPs must now be affiliated with their original CUD-precursor parties); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopian People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Omoro People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Y. YAMAMOTO embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] 11-517-40-00 FAX: [251] 11-517-40-01

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

Economy Ethiopia

Economy - overview:

Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-07.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$56.05 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$19.43 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

11.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$700 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 47% industry: 13.2% services: 39.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

27.27 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 80% industry: 8% services: 12% (1985)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

38.7% (FY05/06 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 25.5% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

30 (2000)

Investment (gross fixed):

25.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $3.231 billion expenditures: $3.785 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

8 July - 7 July

Public debt:

44.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

17.2% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7% (31 December 2006)

Stock of money:

$3.651 billion (31 December 2006)

Stock of quasi money:

$3.258 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$6.694 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Industries:

food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Industrial production growth rate:

11% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

3.268 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

2.941 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 97.6% nuclear: 0% other: 1.2% (2001)

Oil - production:

7.334 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

30,450 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

29,820 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

428,000 bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$826.8 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$1.288 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds

Exports - partners:

Germany 8.2%, Saudi Arabia 7%, US 6.9%, Djibouti 6.6%, China 6.5%, Italy 6.5%, Japan 5.9%, Netherlands 4.8% (2007)

Imports:

$5.165 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 17%, China 15.9%, India 7.8%, Italy 5.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$1.6 billion (FY05/06)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$1.294 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$2.621 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

birr (ETB)

Currency code:

ETB

Exchange rates:

birr (ETB) per US dollar - 8.96 (2007), 8.69 (2006), 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997 (2003) note: since 24 October 2001, exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

Communications Ethiopia

Telephones - main lines in use:

880,100 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.208 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate telephone system; the number of fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a very small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 2 per 100 persons domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:

15.2 million (2002)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (plus 24 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:

682,000 (2002)

Internet country code:

.et

Internet hosts:

128 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2002)

Internet users:

291,000 (2007)

Transportation Ethiopia

Airports:

84 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 15 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 21 (2007)

Railways:

total: 699 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 699 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but remains largely inoperable (2006)

Roadways:

total: 36,469 km paved: 6,980 km unpaved: 29,489 km (2004)

Merchant marine:

total: 9 by type: cargo 8, roll on/roll off 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Ethiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia

Military Ethiopia

Military branches:

Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) (2008) note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; theoretically, no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 17,666,967 females age 16-49: 17,530,211 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 10,060,775 females age 16-49: 9,854,710 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 887,061 female: 896,048 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Ethiopia

Disputes - international:

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 66,980 (Sudan); 16,576 (Somalia); 13,078 (Eritrea) IDPs: 200,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000, ethnic clashes in Gambela, and ongoing Ethiopian military counterinsurgency in Somali region; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@European Union

Introduction European Union

Preliminary statement:

The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded. Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.

Background:

Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris. The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since. In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15. A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - and in 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined, bringing the current membership to 27. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice (in force as of 1 February 2003) set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An effort to establish an EU constitution, begun in October 2004, failed to attain unanimous ratification. A new effort, undertaken in June 2007, calls for the creation of an Intergovernmental Conference to form a political agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, which is to serve as a constitution. Unlike the constitution, however, the Reform Treaty would amend existing treaties rather than replace them.

Geography European Union

Location:

Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 4,324,782 sq km

Area - comparative:

less than one-half the size of the US

Land boundaries:

total: 12,440.8 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 394 km, Moldova 450 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 945 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 446 km, Ukraine 1,257 km note: data for European Continent only

Coastline:

65,992.9 km

Maritime claims:

NA

Climate:

cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Terrain:

fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy

Natural resources:

iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish

Land use:

arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA

Irrigated land:

168,050 sq km (2003 est.)

Natural hazards:

flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic

Environment - current issues:

NA

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94 signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

People European Union

Population:

491,018,683 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 15.7% (male 37,208,905/female 35,254,445) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 155,807,769/female 153,690,235) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 32,592,595/female 46,273,197) (2008 est.)

Median age:

note - see individual country entries of member states

Population growth rate:

0.11% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.25 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.39 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.32 years male: 74 years female: 80.84 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.5 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

note - see individual country entries of member states

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

note - see individual country entries of member states

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

note - see individual country entries of member states

Religions:

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish

Languages:

Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish note: only official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - over 19% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken language - about 49% of the EU population is conversant with it (2007)

Government European Union

Union name:

conventional long form: European Union abbreviation: EU

Political structure:

a hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization

Capital:

name: Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, Belgium, the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, and the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg

Member states:

27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - Canary Islands (Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion (France) are sometimes listed separately even though they are legally a part of Spain, Portugal, and France; candidate countries: Croatia, Macedonia, Turkey

Independence:

7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)

National holiday:

Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community to achieve an organized Europe

Constitution:

based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2003; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback to the ratification process; in June 2007, the European Council agreed on a clear and concise mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference to form a political agreement and put it into legal form; this agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, would have served as a constitution and was presented to the European Council in October 2007 for individual country ratification; it was rejected by Irish voters in June 2008, again stalling the ratification process

Legal system:

comparable to the legal systems of member states; first supranational law system

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004) cabinet: European Commission (composed of 27 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas) elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments and is confirmed by the European Parliament; working from member state recommendations, the Commission president then assembles a "college" of Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the last confirmation process was held 18 November 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines

Legislative branch:

two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 member-state ministers having 345 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population; note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU) and the European Parliament (785 seats, as of 1 January 2007; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population; members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term) elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28; note - seats by party as of 1 December 2007 - EPP-ED 275, PES 217, ALDE 104, UEN 44, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 24, independents 34, 4 unaccounted for

Judicial branch:

Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU; resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) - 27 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27 justices appointed for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders:

Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Joseph DAUL]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty Group or ITS [Bruno GOLLNISCH]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]

International organization participation:

European Union: ARF (dialogue member), ASEAN (dialogue member), IDA, OAS (observer), PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN (observer) European Community: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10, LAIA, NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, WCO, WTO, ZC (observer) European Central Bank: BIS European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500 FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Kristen SILVERBERG embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: same as above telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 508-2063

Flag description:

blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed

Economy European Union

Economy - overview:

Internally, the EU is attempting to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income among member states (from $7,000 to $69,000) and historic national animosities, the EU faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 10 and two countries, respectively, that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the other 15. Eleven established EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999 (Greece did so two years later), but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark chose not to participate. Of the 12 most recent member states, only Slovenia (1 January 2007) and Cyprus and Malta (1 January 2008) have adopted the euro; the remaining nine are legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting EU's fiscal and monetary convergence criteria.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$14.43 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$16.62 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$32,700 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.1% industry: 27.1% services: 70.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

222.7 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 4.4% industry: 27.1% services: 67.1% note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:

8.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:

note - see individual country entries of member states

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (2001 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

30.7 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Fiscal year:

NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.8% (2006 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5% note: This is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks from the Eurosystem (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.03% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$5.742 trillion note: this is the quantity of money, M1, for the Euro Area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of money carried by non-Eurozone members of the European Union

Stock of quasi money:

$10.93 trillion note: this is the quantity of quasi money, M2, for the Euro Area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of quasi money carried by non-Eurozone members of the European Union

Stock of domestic credit:

$20.94 trillion note: this figure refers to the Euro area only; it excludes credit data for members of the EU outside the Eurozone (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish

Industries:

among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

3.2% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:

3.056 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

2.858 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

NA kWh

Electricity - imports:

NA kWh

Oil - production:

2.674 million bbl/day (2007)

Oil - consumption:

14.39 million bbl/day (2007)

Oil - exports:

6.979 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:

17.71 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:

6.144 billion bbl (1 January 2008)

Natural gas - production:

197.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

500.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

76.48 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

361.2 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

2.476 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$NA

Exports:

$1.33 trillion; note - external exports, excluding intra-EU trade (2005)

Exports - commodities:

machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.

Exports - partners:

US 23.3%, Switzerland 7.6%, Russia 5.2%, China 4.8% (2006)

Imports:

$1.466 trillion; note - external imports, excluding intra-EU trade (2005)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:

US 13.8%, China 13.4%, Russia 8.2%, Japan 6.2% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$11.64 trillion (2006)

Currency (code):

euro, British pound, Bulgarian lev, Czech koruna, Danish krone, Estonian kroon, Hungarian forint, Latvian lat, Lithuanian litas, Polish zloty, Romanian leu, Slovak koruna, Swedish krona

Currency code:

EUR

Exchange rates:

euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Communications European Union

Telephones - main lines in use:

238 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

466 million (2005)

Telephone system:

note - see individual country entries of member states

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 930, FM 13,655, shortwave 71 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations:

2,700 (1995); note - sum of individual country television broadcast stations excluding repeaters; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)

Internet country code:

.eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes

Internet hosts:

31,693 (2008); note - this sum reflects the number of internet hosts assigned the .eu internet country code

Internet users:

247 million (2006)

Transportation European Union

Airports:

3,393 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1,991 over 3,047m: 110 2,438 to 3,047m: 347 1,524 to 2,437m: 545 914 to 1,523m: 420 under 914m: 569 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1,373 over 3,047m: 2 2,438 to 3,047m: 5 1,524 to 2,437m: 30 914m to 1,523m: 267 under 914m: 1,043 (2007)

Heliports:

100 (2007)

Railways:

total: 236,436 km broad gauge: 28,250 km standard gauge: 200,401 km narrow gauge: 7,771 km other: 23 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 5,454,446 km (2008)

Waterways:

52,332 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:

Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)

Military European Union

Military - note:

the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed command of the ISAF in Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating 13 1,500-man battle groups by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis; 22 of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops; France, Italy, and the UK formed the first of three battle groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland established the Nordic Battle Group effective 1 January 2008; nine other groups are to be formed; a rapid-reaction naval EU Maritime Task Group was stood up in March 2007 (2007)

Transnational Issues European Union

Disputes - international: