Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (7)

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

Economy ::Australia

Economy - overview:

Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key factors over the course of the economy's 17 solid years of expansion. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products fueled the economy in recent years, particularly in mining states. Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency pushed the trade deficit up however, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a tight labor market constrained growth in export volumes and stoked inflation through mid-2008. The unwinding of the yen-based carry trade in late 2008 has contributed to a weakening of the Australian dollar. Tight global liquidity has challenged Australia's banking sector, which relies heavily on international wholesale markets for funding. The economy remains relatively healthy despite falling export commodity prices. The government plans to counter slowing growth in 2009 with fiscal stimulus efforts.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$802.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $784.1 billion (2007 est.)

$753.9 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.013 trillion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 4% (2007 est.)

2.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$38,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $37,800 (2007 est.)

$36,800 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.4%

industry: 26.8%

services: 69.8% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

11.25 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 3.6%

industry: 21.1%

services: 75% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 4.4% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2%

highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

30.5 (2006) country comparison to the world: 111 35.2 (1994)

Investment (gross fixed):

28.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Budget:

revenues: $350.3 billion

expenditures: $332.4 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

14.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 17.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

note: the Commonwealth government eliminated its net debt in 2006, but continues a gross debt issue to support the market for risk-free securities

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 2.3% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.91% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 84 10.02% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$298.5 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$667.2 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.312 trillion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 $1.298 trillion (31 December 2007)

$1.096 trillion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry

Industries:

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Industrial production growth rate:

3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Electricity - production:

239.9 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - consumption:

222 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

586,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30

Oil - consumption:

953,700 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Oil - exports:

332,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Oil - imports:

687,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19

Oil - proved reserves:

1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

Natural gas - production:

45.22 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Natural gas - consumption:

34.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26

Natural gas - exports:

19.48 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 12

Natural gas - imports:

5.377 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Natural gas - proved reserves:

849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28

Current account balance:

-$44.04 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 -$57.68 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$189.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $142.4 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment

Exports - partners:

Japan 22.2%, China 14.6%, South Korea 8.2%, India 6.1%, US 5.5%, NZ 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2008)

Imports:

$194.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $160.2 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

Imports - partners:

China 15.4%, US 12%, Japan 9.1%, Singapore 7%, Germany 5%, Thailand 4.5%, UK 4.3%, Malaysia 4.1% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$32.92 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $26.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$799.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 14 $820.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$366.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $337.5 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$197.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $290.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)

Communications ::Australia

Telephones - main lines in use:

9.37 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 24

Telephones - mobile cellular:

22.12 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 36

Telephone system:

general assessment: excellent domestic and international service

domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones

international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

104 (1997)

Internet country code:

.au

Internet hosts:

11.756 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 10

Internet users:

15.17 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 24

Transportation ::Australia

Airports:

464 (2009) country comparison to the world: 17

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 325

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 13

1,524 to 2,437 m: 145

914 to 1,523 m: 142

under 914 m: 14 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 139

1,524 to 2,437 m: 17

914 to 1,523 m: 110

under 914 m: 12 (2009)

Heliports:

1 (2009)

Pipelines:

gas 27,105 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,258 km; oil/gas/water 1 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 37,855 km country comparison to the world: 7 broad gauge: 142 km 1.600-m gauge

standard gauge: 24,409 km 1.435-m gauge (1,094 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 13,304 km 1.067-m gauge (1,193 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways:

total: 812,972 km country comparison to the world: 9 paved: 341,448 km

unpaved: 471,524 km (2004)

Waterways:

2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006) country comparison to the world: 45

Merchant marine:

total: 50 country comparison to the world: 71 by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 5

foreign-owned: 24 (Canada 9, France 1, Germany 2, Japan 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Singapore 1, UK 5, US 2)

registered in other countries: 28 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Belize 1, Bermuda 1, Dominica 2, Fiji 1, Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1, Panama 4, Singapore 12, Tonga 1, US 1, Vanuatu 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

Military ::Australia

Military branches:

Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:

17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 4,999,988

females age 16-49: 4,870,043 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 4,341,591

females age 16-49: 4,179,659 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 144,959

female: 137,333 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 69

Transnational Issues ::Australia

Disputes - international:

Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Timor-Leste hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea; regional states continue to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent more than its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australia has led the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security

Illicit drugs:

Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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@Austria (Europe)

Introduction ::Austria

Background:

Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. In January 2009, Austria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.

Geography ::Austria

Location:

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates:

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 83,871 sq km country comparison to the world: 113 land: 82,445 sq km

water: 1,426 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:

total: 2,562 km

border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Terrain:

in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m

highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

Natural resources:

oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 16.59%

permanent crops: 0.85%

other: 82.56% (2005)

Irrigated land:

40 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

84 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)

per capita: 448 cu m/yr (1999)

Natural hazards:

landslides; avalanches; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

People ::Austria

Population:

8,210,281 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 609,748/female 581,144)

15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,785,091/female 2,756,402)

65 years and over: 18% (male 612,613/female 865,283) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 42.2 years

male: 41.1 years

female: 43.2 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.052% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196

Birth rate:

8.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 217

Death rate:

9.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Net migration rate:

1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Urbanization:

urban population: 67% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 202 male: 5.39 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 79.5 years country comparison to the world: 27 male: 76.6 years

female: 82.56 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.39 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

9,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Nationality:

noun: Austrian(s)

adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups:

Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)

Languages:

German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: NA

female: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.4% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 52

Government ::Austria

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Austria

conventional short form: Austria

local long form: Republik Oesterreich

local short form: Oesterreich

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

name: Vienna

geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Independence:

976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday:

National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

Constitution:

1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place

Legal system:

civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)

head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2 December 2008)

cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010); chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6%

note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP

Legislative branch:

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members in proportion to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013)

election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20

Judicial branch:

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Josef PROELL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]; The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights

International organization participation:

ACCT (observer), ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Christian PROSL

chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700

FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott F. KILNER

embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0

FAX: [43] (1) 3100682

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner

Economy ::Austria

Economy - overview:

Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the global economic downturn in 2008 led to a recession that is likely to persist through 2009. The government's stabilization measures could increase the budget deficit to about 2.8% of GDP in 2009 and above 3% in 2010, from about 0.6% in 2008. The Austrian economy has benefited greatly in the past from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe, but these sectors have been vulnerable to recent international financial instabilities, and some of Austria's largest banks have required government support. Even after the global economic outlook improves, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor participation to offset its aging population and exceedingly low fertility rate.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$331.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $324.7 billion (2007 est.)

$313.7 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$414.8 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 3.5% (2007 est.)

3.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$40,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $39,600 (2007 est.)

$38,300 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.9%

industry: 30.7%

services: 67.4% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

3.633 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 5.5%

industry: 27.5%

services: 67% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

3.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 4.4% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

5.9% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.3%

highest 10%: 22.5% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

26 (2007) country comparison to the world: 125 31 (1995)

Investment (gross fixed):

22.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Budget:

revenues: $196.4 billion

expenditures: $200.7 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

62.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 64.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 2.2% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.82% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 128 6.3% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$606.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $504.8 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 $228.7 billion (31 December 2007)

$191.3 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber

Industries:

construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Electricity - production:

58.64 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43

Electricity - consumption:

61.89 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Electricity - exports:

14.93 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

19.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

24,850 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Oil - consumption:

285,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46

Oil - exports:

45,580 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79

Oil - imports:

305,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Oil - proved reserves:

50 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Natural gas - production:

1.532 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60

Natural gas - consumption:

8.65 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50

Natural gas - exports:

2.788 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 32

Natural gas - imports:

10.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23

Natural gas - proved reserves:

16.14 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Current account balance:

$14.27 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $12.03 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$179.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 $162.1 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Germany 29.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 4.3%, Switzerland 4.2% (2008)

Imports:

$179.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $160.3 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Germany 44.5%, Italy 7.1%, Switzerland 5.2%, Netherlands 4.1% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$16.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $18.22 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$832.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 $801.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$261.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $247.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$270 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $240.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)

Communications ::Austria

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.285 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 47

Telephones - mobile cellular:

10.816 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 58

Telephone system:

general assessment: highly developed and efficient

domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available

international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:

10 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001)

Internet country code:

.at

Internet hosts:

2.992 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 26

Internet users:

5.937 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 39

Transportation ::Austria

Airports:

55 (2009) country comparison to the world: 84

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 25

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 14 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 26 (2009)

Heliports:

1 (2009)

Pipelines:

gas 2,721 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 6,399 km country comparison to the world: 29 standard gauge: 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,688 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways:

total: 107,262 km country comparison to the world: 39 paved: 107,262 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways:

358 km (2007) country comparison to the world: 90

Merchant marine:

total: 4 country comparison to the world: 134 by type: cargo 2, container 2

foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)

registered in other countries: 4 (Cyprus 1, Malta 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna

Military ::Austria

Military branches:

Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)

Military service age and obligation:

18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 6 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2009)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,986,411

females age 16-49: 1,944,834 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,607,456

females age 16-49: 1,576,335 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 50,540

female: 48,042 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Transnational Issues ::Austria

Disputes - international:

while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the newly elected Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closed its nuclear power plant in Temelin, bordering Austria

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Azerbaijan (Middle East)

Introduction ::Azerbaijan

Background:

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.

Geography ::Azerbaijan

Location:

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Geographic coordinates:

40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 86,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 112 land: 82,629 sq km

water: 3,971 sq km

note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:

total: 2,013 km

border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

dry, semiarid steppe

Terrain:

large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite

Land use:

arable land: 20.62%

permanent crops: 2.61%

other: 76.77% (2005)

Irrigated land:

14,550 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

30.3 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%)

per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

droughts

Environment - current issues:

local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked

People ::Azerbaijan

Population:

8,238,672 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91

Age structure:

0-14 years: 23.9% (male 1,042,132/female 926,495)

15-64 years: 69.4% (male 2,807,717/female 2,908,221)

65 years and over: 6.7% (male 204,410/female 349,697) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 28.2 years

male: 26.6 years

female: 30 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.762% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Birth rate:

17.62 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115

Death rate:

8.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Net migration rate:

-1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Urbanization:

urban population: 52% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 54.6 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 46 male: 60.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 48.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 66.66 years country comparison to the world: 158 male: 62.53 years

female: 71.34 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.04 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

7,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 127

Nationality:

noun: Azerbaijani(s)

adjective: Azerbaijani

Ethnic groups:

Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)

note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region

Religions:

Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)

note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Languages:

Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.8%

male: 99.5%

female: 98.2% (1999 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

2.1% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 165

Government ::Azerbaijan

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan

conventional short form: Azerbaijan

local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi

local short form: Azarbaycan

former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Baku (Baki, Baky)

geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 52 E

time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika)

rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu

cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari

autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi (Nakhichevan)

Independence:

30 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)

Constitution:

adopted 12 November 1995; modified by referendum 24 August 2002

Legal system:

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)

head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly

elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2008 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly

election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 89%, Igbal AGHAZADE 2.9%, five other candidates with smaller percentages

note: several political parties boycotted the election due to unfair conditions; OSCE observers concluded that the election did not meet international standards

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:

Azadliq (Freedom) coalition (Popular Front Party, Liberal Party, Citizens' Development Party); Azerbaijan Democratic Party or ADP [Sardar JALALOGLU]; Azerbaijan Democratic Reforms Party (ADRP) Youth Movement [Ramin HAJILI]; Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF, now split in two [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform" APF party; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic" APF party]; Azerbaijan Public Forum [Eldar NAMAZOV]; Citizens' Development Party [Ali ALIYEV]; Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Dalga Youth Movement [Vafa JAFAROVA]; Green Party [Mais GULALIYEV and Tarana MAMMADOVA]; Hope (Umid) Party [Iqbal AGAZADE]; Ireli Youth Movement [Jeyhun OSMANLI, Roya TALIBOVA, Farhad MAMMADOV, Elnara GARIBOVA, Elnur MAMMADOV, Ziya ALIYEV]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Magam Youth Movement [Emin HUSEYNOV]; Motherland Party [Fazail AGAMALI]; Musavat (Equality) [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Musavat Party Youth Movement [Elnur MAMMADLI]; National Democratic Party or Grey Wolves (Nationalist, Pan-Turkic) [Iskender HAMIDOV]; Open Society Party [Rasul GULIYEV, in exile in the US]; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Ayaz RUSTAMOV]; Popular Front Party Youth Movement [Seymur KHAZIYEV]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV (in exile)]; Turkish Nationalist Party [Vugar BAYTURAN]; United Azerbaijan Party [Karrar ABILOV]; United Azerbaijan National Unity Party [Hajibaba AZIMOV]; United Party [Tahir KARIMLI]; Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party [President Ilham ALIYEV]; Yeni Azerbaijan Party Youth Movement [Ramil HASANOV]; Yox (No) Youth Movement [Ali ISMAYILOV]

note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties;

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (self-proclaimed); Karabakh Liberation Organization; Sadval, Lezgin movement; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces or UPAF

International organization participation:

ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV

chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500

FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911

Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE

embassy: 83 Azadlig Prospecti, Baku AZ1007

mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050

telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337

FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

Economy ::Azerbaijan

Economy - overview:

Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 is attributable to large and growing oil exports, but the non-energy sector also featured double-digit growth in 2008, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors. However, the current global economic slowdown presents some challenges for the Azerbaijani economy as oil prices have plummeted since mid-2008 and local banks face a more uncertain international financial environment. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies built a $4 billion pipeline from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan which will pump 1.2 million barrels a day from a large offshore field when at full capacity. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its medium-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, pervasive corruption, and potential for a sharp downturn in the construction and real estate sectors. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and gas pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote sustainable growth in non-energy sectors of the economy and spur employment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$77.79 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $70.21 billion (2007 est.)

$56.17 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$46.38 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

10.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 25% (2007 est.)

34.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$9,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $8,600 (2007 est.)

$7,000 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6%

industry: 60.5%

services: 33.5% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

5.782 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 39.3%

industry: 12.1%

services: 48.6% (2005)

Unemployment rate:

0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

24% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 6.1%

highest 10%: 17.5% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

36.5 (2001) country comparison to the world: 81 36 (1995)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Budget:

revenues: $12.69 billion

expenditures: $15.67 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

4.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 18.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

20.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206 16.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

8% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 13% (31 December 2007)

note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key policy rate for the National Bank of Azerbaijan

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

19.76% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 19.13% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$6.381 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 $4.261 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.125 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 $2.593 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$8.135 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 $5.726 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Agriculture - products:

cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats

Industries:

petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles

Industrial production growth rate:

6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39

Electricity - production:

19.35 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Electricity - consumption:

15.68 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Electricity - exports:

786 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

548 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

875,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Oil - consumption:

126,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

Oil - exports:

528,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 29

Oil - imports:

2,848 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 170

Oil - proved reserves:

7 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 19

Natural gas - production:

16.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33

Natural gas - consumption:

10.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47

Natural gas - exports:

5.564 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 25

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 201

Natural gas - proved reserves:

849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Current account balance:

$16.45 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $9.019 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$30.59 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $21.27 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Italy 40.2%, US 12.6%, Israel 7.6%, India 5.1%, France 4.9% (2008)

Imports:

$7.575 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 $6.045 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals

Imports - partners:

Russia 18.8%, Turkey 11.3%, Germany 8.4%, Ukraine 7.9%, China 6.7%, UK 5.4% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$6.519 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $4.273 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$2.635 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 $2.439 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$7.844 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $7.829 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$5.232 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $4.677 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar - 0.8219 (2008 est.), 0.8581 (2007), 0.8934 (2006), 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004)

note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat

Communications ::Azerbaijan

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.311 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 68

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6.548 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 76

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 15 main lines per 100 persons is low; mobile-cellular penetration has increased rapidly and is currently about 80 telephones per 100 persons

domestic: fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other telecom services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the mobile-cellular market with three providers in 2006; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan

international: country code - 994; the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic link transits Azerbaijan providing international connectivity to neighboring countries; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

2 (1997)

Internet country code:

.az

Internet hosts:

7,045 (2009) country comparison to the world: 130

Internet users:

1.485 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 75

Transportation ::Azerbaijan

Airports:

34 (2009) country comparison to the world: 111

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 27

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 6

1,524 to 2,437 m: 13

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7

under 914 m: 7 (2009)

Heliports:

1 (2009)

Pipelines:

condensate 1 km; gas 3,361 km; oil 1,424 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 2,122 km country comparison to the world: 71 broad gauge: 2,122 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways:

total: 59,141 km country comparison to the world: 74 paved: 29,210 km

unpaved: 29,931 km (2004)

Merchant marine:

total: 89 country comparison to the world: 52 by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 46, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 3

registered in other countries: 3 (Malta 2, Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Baku (Baki)

Military ::Azerbaijan

Military branches:

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,278,888

females age 16-49: 2,291,770 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,727,464

females age 16-49: 1,944,260 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 90,416

female: 85,344 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Transnational Issues ::Azerbaijan

Disputes - international:

Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 2,400 (Russia)

IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual exploitation

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate, prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking victims in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)

Illicit drugs:

limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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@Bahamas, The (Central America and Caribbean)

Introduction ::Bahamas, The

Background:

Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

Geography ::Bahamas, The

Location:

Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Geographic coordinates:

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 13,880 sq km country comparison to the world: 160 land: 10,010 sq km

water: 3,870 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

3,542 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain:

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources:

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 0.58%

permanent crops: 0.29%

other: 99.13% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

NA

Natural hazards:

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues:

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

People ::Bahamas, The

Population:

309,156 country comparison to the world: 176 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 2009 est.)

Age structure: