at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.43 years
male : 51.16 years
female: 55.76 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.98 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola
10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-Gambian 1%

Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.6%
male : 52.8%
female: 24.9% (1995 est.)

@The Gambia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form : The Gambia

Data code: GA

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Banjul

Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower
River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western

Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); note - The Gambia and
Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the
creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the
agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution: 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and
published in March 1996; approved by national referendum 8 August
1996; rewritten and reestablished in January 1997

Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law,
and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 12 October
1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October
1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the president
elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year
term; the number of terms is not restricted; election last held 26
September 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote - President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH
55.5%, Ousinou DARBOE 35.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly; 49 seats (45
elected, 4 appointed by the president)
elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held
NA)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
APRC 33, UDP 7, NRP 2, PDOIS 1, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation
and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; National
Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic
Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA];
United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]; note - in August
1996 the government banned the following from participation in the
elections of 1996: People's Progressive Party or PPP [former President
Dawda K. JAWARA (in exile)], and two opposition parties - the National
Convention Party or NCP [former vice president Sheriff DIBBA (in
exile)] and the Gambian People's Party or GPP [Hassan Musa CAMARA]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad
interim Malamin K. JUWARA
chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399, 1379, 1425
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald Wesley SCOTT
embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul
mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone : [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971
FAX: [220] 392475

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with
white edges, and green

Economy

Economy - overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other
natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of
the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood.
Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts,
fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment
of economic activity, but the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in
January 1994 made Senegalese goods more competitive and hurt the
reexport trade. The Gambia has benefited from a rebound in tourism in
1996 after its decline in response to the military's takeover in July
1994. Short-run economic progress remains highly dependent on
sustained bilateral and multilateral aid and on government willingness
to reduce intervention in market processes.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 27%
industry: 15%
services: 58% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 7% (1995 est.)

Labor force:
total: 400,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services
18.9%, government 6.1%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $88.6 million
expenditures: $98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY96/97 est.)

Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages;
agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 30,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 65 million kWh (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 74 kWh (1991 est.)

Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava
(tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishing
resources not fully exploited

Exports:
total value : $127 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products 70%, fish, cotton lint, palm
kernels
partners: Japan, Senegal, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, UK,
Indonesia

Imports:
total value: $201 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery
and transport equipment
partners: China, Cote d'Ivoire, France, UK, Germany

Debt - external: $419 million (1994 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: bilateral $36.1 million; multilateral $34.7 million (1994)

Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut

Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1 - 9.875 (November 1996), 9.546
(1995), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993), 8.888 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@The Gambia:Communications

Telephones: 11,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire
international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios: 180,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: NA

Televisions: NA

@The Gambia:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,640 km
paved: 932 km
unpaved : 1,708 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 400 km

Ports and harbors: Banjul

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, National Police

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 276,923 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 139,531 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $14 million (FY93/94)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.8% (FY93/94)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: short section of boundary with Senegal is
indefinite
______________________________________________________________________

GAZA STRIP

Introduction

Current issues: The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13
September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five
years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996. Under
the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities
to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative
Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing
arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and
responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken place
pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza
Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank
pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement. The
DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the
transitional period for external security and for internal security
and public order of settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to
be determined through direct negotiations which began on 5 May 1996.

@Gaza Strip:Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
and Israel

Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total: 360 sq km
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington,
DC

Land boundaries:
total: 62 km
border countries : Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with current status subject to the
Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be
determined through further negotiation

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 39%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 26% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: desertification; salination of fresh
water

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

Geography - note: there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land
use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1996 est.)

@Gaza Strip:People

Population: 987,869 (July 1997 est.)
note: in addition, there are 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip
(August 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 51% (male 261,014; female 248,236)
15-64 years: 46% (male 225,707; female 224,483)
65 years and over: 3% (male 12,281; female 16,148) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 6.59% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 49.85 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 4.2 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 20.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 72.46 years
male: 71.12 years
female : 73.87 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.68 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%

Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish
0.6%

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

Literacy: NA

@Gaza Strip:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Data code: GZ

Economy

Economy - overview: Economic progress in the Gaza Strip has been
hampered by tight Israeli security restrictions. In 1991 roughly 40%
of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by Israeli
industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker
remittances supplementing GDP by roughly 50%. Gaza has depended upon
Israel for nearly 90% of its external trade. The Persian Gulf crisis
and its aftershocks has dealt blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker
remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment and
popular unrest have increased, and living standards have fallen. The
withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in May 1994 has added to the
set of adjustment problems. This series of disruptions has meant a
sharp decline in employment in Israel since 1991 and a drop in GDP as
a whole. An estimated 378,000 persons were in refugee camps in 1996.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -1% to -2% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 33%
industry: 25%
services: 42% (1995 est., includes West Bank)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 11% (1995 est.)

Labor force: NA
by occupation: construction 33.4%, agriculture 20.0%, commerce,
restaurants, and hotels 14.9%, industry 10.0%, other services 21.7%
(1991)
note: excluding Israeli settlers

Unemployment rate: 35% to 40% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $684 million
expenditures : $779 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996)
note: includes West Bank

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW
note: electricity supplied by Israel

Electricity - production: NA kWh
note : electricity supplied by Israel

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

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

Exports:
total value: $235 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) (includes West Bank)
commodities: citrus
partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank

Imports:
total value : $1.55 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) (includes West Bank)
commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials
partners: Israel, Egypt, West Bank

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.41 (May 1997),
3.2882 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591
(1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

@Gaza Strip:Communications

Telephones: NA
note: 3.1% of Palestinian households have telephones

Telephone system:
domestic : NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: NA; note - 95% of Palestinian households have radios (1992
est.)

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: NA; note - 59% of Palestinian households have televisions
(1992 est.)

@Gaza Strip:Transportation

Railways:
total: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little
trackage remains

Highways:
total : NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: small, poorly developed road network

Ports and harbors: Gaza

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)
note: new international airport under construction and scheduled to
open in June 1997

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: NA

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli
occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian
Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further
negotiation
______________________________________________________________________

GEORGIA

Introduction

Current issues: Beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence in
1991, Georgia began to stabilize in 1994. Separatist conflicts in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant since spring 1994,
although political settlements remain elusive. Russian peacekeepers
are deployed in both regions and a UN Observer Mission is operating in
Abkhazia. As a result of these conflicts, Georgia still has about
250,000 internally displaced people. In 1995, Georgia adopted a new
constitution and conducted generally free and fair nationwide
presidential and parliamentary elections. In 1996, the government
focused its attention to implementing an ambitious economic reform
program and professionalizing its parliament. Violence and organized
crime were sharply curtailed in 1995 and 1996, but corruption remains
rife.

@Georgia:Geography

Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey
and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
land : 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
Turkey 252 km

Coastline: 310 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Terrain: largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhida Lowland
opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east;
good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m

Natural resources: forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore,
copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow
for important tea and citrus growth

Land use:
arable land : 9%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 28% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi;
heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate
supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

@Georgia:People

Population: 5,160,042 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 581,370; female 558,390)
15-64 years : 66% (male 1,640,361; female 1,766,319)
65 years and over: 12% (male 231,698; female 381,904) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.09% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.82 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 13.88 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 50.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.96 years
male: 61.59 years
female : 68.49 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian

Ethnic groups: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri
5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%

Religions: Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian
Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%

Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%,
other 7%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98% (1989 est.)

@Georgia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local long form: none
local short form : Sak'art'velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: GG

Government type: republic

National capital: T'bilisi

Administrative divisions: 53 rayons (raionebi, singular - raioni), 9
cities* (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous
republics** (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika);
Abashis, Abkhazia (Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika)** (Sokhumi),
Adigenis, Ajaria (Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika)** (Bat'umi),
Akhalgoris, Akhalk'alak'is, Akhalts'ikhis, Akhmetis, Ambrolauris,
Aspindzis, Baghdat'is, Bolnisis, Borjomis, Chiat'ura*, Ch'khorotsqus,
Ch'okhatauris, Dedop'listsqaros, Dmanisis, Dushet'is, Gardabanis,
Gori*, Goris, Gurjaanis, Javis, K'arelis, Kaspis, Kharagaulis,
Khashuris, Khobis, Khonis, K'ut'aisi*, Lagodekhis, Lanch'khut'is,
Lentekhis, Marneulis, Martvilis, Mestiis, Mts'khet'is, Ninotsmindis,
Onis, Ozurget'is, P'ot'i*, Qazbegis, Qvarlis, Rust'avi*, Sach'kheris,
Sagarejos, Samtrediis, Senakis, Sighnaghis, T'bilisi*, T'elavis,
T'erjolis, T'et'ritsqaros, T'ianet'is, Tqibuli*, Ts'ageris,
Tsalenjikhis, Tsalkis, Tsqaltubo*, Vanis, Zestap'onis, Zugdidi*,
Zugdidis
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name
following in parentheses)

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 May (1991)

Constitution: adopted 17 October 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state : President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE
(previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992,
Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of
Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE
(previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992,
Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of
Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA April 2001)
election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE elected president; percent of
vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 74%

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Umaghiesi Sabcho
(235 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA November
2000)
election results : percent of vote by party - CUG 24%, NDP 8%, All
Georgia Revival Union 7%, all other parties received less than 5%
each; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Citizens Union of Georgia or CUG
[Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Zurab ZHVANIA, general secretary]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTARIA]; United
Republican Party, umbrella organization for parties including the GPF
and the Charter 1991 Party [Notar NATADZE, chairman]; Georgian Popular
Front or GPF [Nodar NATADZE, chairman]; Charter 1991 Party [Tedo
PAATASHVILI]; Georgian Social Democratic Party or GSDP [Guram
MUCHAIDZE, secretary general]; All Georgia Union for Revival [Alsan
ABASHIDZE]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Irakli SHENGELAYA];
Democratic Georgia Union or DGU [Avtandil MARGIANI]; National
Independence Party or NIP [Irakliy TSERETELI, chairman]; Georgian
Monarchists' Party or GMP [Temur ZHORZHOLIANI]; Greens Party; Agrarian
Party of Georgia or APG [Roin LIPARTELIANI]; United Communist Party of
Georgia or UCP [Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: supporters of ousted President
Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) remain a source of
opposition; separatist elements in the breakaway region of Abkhazia

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE
chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC
20005
telephone: [1] (202) 393-5959
FAX : [1] (202) 393-4537

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William H. COURTNEY
embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone : 995-32-989-967 or 995-32-933-803 (operator assisted)
FAX: tie-line FAX 997-0200; 933-759 or 938-951

Flag description: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist
side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white
below

Economy

Economy - overview: Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved
around Black Sea tourism; cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and
grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small
industrial sector producing wine, metals, machinery, chemicals, and
textiles. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including
natural gas and oil products. Its only sizable internal energy
resource is hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has
suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and
World Bank, has made substantial economic gains in 1995-96, pushing
GDP growth and slashing inflation. Georgia had been suffering from
acute energy shortages, although energy deliveries improved in 1996.
Georgia is pinning its hopes for long-term recovery on the development
of an international transportation corridor through the key Black Sea
ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. The decision in 1996 to construct an
early Caspian oil pipeline through Georgia underscores the viability
of such a corridor and may spur greater western investment in the
economy. A growing trade deficit and political uncertainties cloud the
short-term economic picture.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP - real growth rate: 11% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,350 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 70.4%
industry: 10.2%
services: 19.4% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 13.3% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 2.2 million (1996)
by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry
25%, other 44% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, foundry equipment,
electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment,
machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors,
process control equipment, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes,
chemicals, wood products, wine

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (1996 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 4.56 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 7.1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,095 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes;
small livestock sector

Exports:
total value: $356 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products;
diverse types of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles;
chemicals; fuel re-exports
partners : Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria (1996)

Imports:
total value: $647 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts,
transport equipment
partners: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan (1996); note - EU and US send
humanitarian food shipments

Debt - external: $1.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $28 million (1993)
note : commitments, 1992-95, $1,200 million ($675 million
disbursements)

Currency: lari introduced September 1995 replacing the coupon

Exchange rates: lari per US$1 (end of period) - 1.28 (December 1996),
1.24 (December 1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Georgia:Communications

Telephones: 672,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: poor service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for
telephones (December 1990 est.)
domestic: NA
international: landline to CIS members and Turkey; satellite earth
station - 1 Eutelsat; leased connections with other countries via the
Moscow international gateway switch; international electronic mail and
telex service available

Radio broadcast stations: 2 national broadcast stations, 3 regional
broadcast stations

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 3

Televisions: NA

@Georgia:Transportation

Railways:
total: 1,583 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 1,583 km 1.520-m gauge (1993)

Highways:
total: 21,000 km
paved: NA km
unpaved : NA km
note: Georgia reports 19,635 km of "hard surfaced" roads which combine
the lengths of paved and graveled roads; 1,365 km of unsurfaced or
dirt roads are reported separately (1995 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440
km (1992)

Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi

Merchant marine:
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 183,202 GRT/292,021 DWT
ships by type : bulk 4, cargo 3, oil tanker 8 (1996 est.)

Airports: 28 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m : 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m : 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m : 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)

Transportation - note: transportation network is in poor condition and
disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages;
network lacks maintenance and repair

Military

Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces,
National Guard, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,288,694 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 1,020,609 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 40,799 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: 38.2 trillion coupons (1995);
note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly
for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates to
Western Europe
______________________________________________________________________

GERMANY

@Germany:Geography

Location: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,
between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 356,910 sq km
land : 349,520 sq km
water: 7,390 sq km
note: includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the
German Democratic Republic, and Berlin, following formal unification
on 3 October 1990

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 3,621 km
border countries : Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646
km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577
km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

Coastline: 2,389 km

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

Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity

Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Freepsum Lake -2 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,962 m

Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium,
copper, natural gas, salt, nickel

Land use:
arable land : 33%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 15%
forests and woodland: 31%
other : 20% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,750 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: emissions from coal-burning utilities
and industries and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts (the result of
continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution; acid rain,
resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; heavy
pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents
from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Air Pollution-Sulphur 94

Geography - note: strategic location on North European Plain and along
the entrance to the Baltic Sea

@Germany:People

Population: 82,071,765 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 6,652,245; female 6,315,479)
15-64 years: 68% (male 28,649,361; female 27,498,980)
65 years and over: 16% (male 4,772,547; female 8,183,153) (July 1997
est.)

Population growth rate: 0% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 8.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.82 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.81 years
male: 73.64 years
female: 80.16 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun : German(s)
adjective: German

Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, Italians 0.7%, Greeks 0.4%,
Poles 0.4%, other 4.6% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in
the former Yugoslavia)

Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%,
unaffiliated or other 26.3%

Languages: German

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1977 est.)
male: NA%
female : NA%

@Germany:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local long form : Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form: Deutschland

Data code: GM

Government type: federal republic

National capital: Berlin
note: the shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of
years, with Bonn retaining many administrative functions and several
ministries even after parliament moves in 1999

Administrative divisions: 16 states (laender, singular - land);
Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg,
Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt,
Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen

Independence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided
into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in
1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991

National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 3 October (1990)

Constitution: 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of
the united German people 3 October 1990

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state : President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994)
head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the proposal of the
chancellor
elections: president elected by the Federal Convention including
members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of members elected
by the Land Parliaments for a five-year term; election last held 23
May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); chancellor elected by an absolute
majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last
held 16 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1998)
election results: Roman HERZOG elected president; percent of Federal
Convention vote - NA; Dr. Helmut KOHL reelected chancellor; percent of
Federal Assembly - NA

Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the two
chambers as a whole) consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag
(656 seats usually, but 672 for the 1994 term; elected by direct
popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional
representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three
direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms)
and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (68 votes; state governments are
directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on
population and are required to vote as a block)
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 16 October 1994 (next to be
held by NA 1998); Federal Council - last held NA ( next to be held NA)
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - CDU
34.2%, SPD 36.4%, Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS
4.4%, Republicans 1.9%; seats by party - CDU 244, SPD 252, Alliance
90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; Federal Council - current
composition - votes by party - SPD-led states 41, CDU-led states 27

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or
Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag
and half by the Bundesrat

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union or CDU
[Helmut KOHL, chairman]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Theo WAIGEL,
chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Wolfgang GERHARDT, chairman];
Social Democratic Party or SPD [Oskar LAFONTAINE, chairman]; Alliance
'90/Greens [Gunda ROESTEL, Juergen TRITTIN, cochairpersons]; Party of
Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY, chairman]; Republikaner
[Rolf SCHLIERER, chairman]; National Democratic Party or NPD
[Ellen-Doris SCHERER]; Communist Party or DKP [Rolf PRIEMER and Heinz
STEHR, cochairpersons]

Political pressure groups and leaders: employers' organizations,
expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB,
Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN,
EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Juergen CHROBOG
chancery : 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
consulate(s): Wellington (American Samoa)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James D.
BINDENAGEL
embassy : Deichmanns Aue 29, 53170 Bonn
mailing address: APO AE 09080, PSC 117, Bonn
telephone: [49] (228) 3391
FAX: [49] (228) 339-2663
branch office : Berlin
consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig,
Munich

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red,
and gold

Economy

Economy - overview: Germany, the world's third-most powerful economy,
is gearing up for the European Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
One key economic priority is meeting the Maastricht criteria for entry
into EMU, a goal complicated by record unemployment and stagnating
growth. The government has implemented an austerity budget in its
attempt to get the deficit down to 3% of GDP as required by
Maastricht, but further cuts probably will be necessary and there is
little consensus among the parties or elites about next steps toward
that end. In recent years business and political leaders have become
increasingly concerned about Germany's apparent decline in
attractiveness as a business location. They cite the increasing
preference of German companies to locate new manufacturing facilities
- long the strength of the postwar economy - in foreign countries,
including the US, rather than in Germany, so they can be closer to
their markets and avoid Germany's high taxes and labor costs. At the
same time, Germany faces its own unique problem of bringing its
eastern area up to scratch after 45 years of communist rule. Despite
substantial progress toward economic integration, the eastern states
will continue to rely on the annual subsidy of approximately $100
billion from the western part into the next century. Assistance from
the west helped the east to average nearly 8% annual economic growth
in 1992-95, even though the overall German economy had averaged less
than 2% growth; growth in the east, however, tumbled to 2% in 1996,
with unemployment a particularly severe problem.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.7 trillion (western: purchasing
power parity - $1.56 trillion; eastern: purchasing power parity - $142
billion) (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (western 1.3%, eastern 2.0%) (1996)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,400 (western:
purchasing power parity - $23,100; eastern: purchasing power parity -
$9,000) (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 34.5%
services: 64.4% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.5% (1996)

Labor force:
total: 38.7 million
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 3%, services 56% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 10.8% (western 9.6%, eastern 15.9%) (December 1996)

Budget:
revenues: $755 billion
expenditures: $832.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)

Industries: western: among world's largest and technologically
advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; eastern:
metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine
building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (1996 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 109.73 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 529.1 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 5,727 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: western: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets,
fruit, cabbage; cattle, pigs, poultry; eastern: wheat, rye, barley,
potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides

Exports:
total value: $501.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: manufactures 88.2% (including machines and machine tools,
chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural
products 5.0%, raw materials 2.3%, fuels 1.0%, other 3.5% (1995)
partners: EU 57.7% (France 11.7%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, Netherlands
7.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.5%, Austria 5.5%), Eastern Europe 8.0%,
other West European countries 7.5%, US 7.3%, NICs 5.6%, Japan 2.5%,
OPEC 2.2%, China 1.4% (1996 est. for first 10 months)

Imports:
total value: $430.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: manufactures 74.2%, agricultural products 9.9%, fuels
6.4%, raw materials 5.9%, other 3.6% (1995)
partners : EU 55.5% (France 10.8%, Netherlands 8.6%, Italy 8.4%,
Belgium-Luxembourg 6.6%, UK 6.4%, Austria 3.9%), Eastern Europe 8.7%,
other West European countries 7.2%, US 6.8%, Japan 5.3%, NICs 5.3%,
China 2.4%, OPEC 1.7%, other 7.1% (1995)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $9 billion (1996 est.)

Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige

Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1 - 1.6043 (January 1997),
1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617
(1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Germany:Communications

Telephones: 44 million

Telephone system: Germany has one of the world's most technologically
advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital
expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the
eastern part of the country is being rapidly modernized and integrated
with that of the western part
domestic: the region which was formerly West Germany is served by an
extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern
networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay,
and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely
available and includes roaming service to many foreign countries;
since the reunification of Germany, the telephone system of the
eastern region has been upgraded and enjoys many of the advantages of
the national system
international: satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean
region); 6 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone
communication centers; tropospheric scatter links

Radio broadcast stations: western - AM 80, FM 470, shortwave 0;
eastern - AM 23, FM 17, shortwave 0

Radios: 70 million (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 246 (repeaters 6,000); note - there are
15 Russian repeaters in eastern Germany

Televisions: 44.8 million (1992 est.)

@Germany:Transportation

Railways:
total: 43,966 km
standard gauge : 43,531 km 1.435-m; 40,355 km are owned by Deutsche
Bahn AG (DB); 17,015 km of the DB system are electrified and 16,941 km
are double- or more-tracked
narrow gauge: 389 km 1.000-m gauge (DB operates 146 km of 1.000-m
gauge); 7 km 0.900-m gauge; 39 km 0.750-m gauge
note : in addition to the DB system there are 54 privately-owned
industrial or excursion railways, ranging in route length from 2 km to
632 km, with a total length of 3,465 km (1995)

Highways:
total: 639,800 km
paved: 504,800 km (including 11,013 km of expressways)
unpaved : 135,000 km all-weather, graveled (1993 est.)

Waterways: western - 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft
of 1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine
and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea
and North Sea; eastern - 2,319 km (1988)

Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km; natural
gas 97,564 km (1988)

Ports and harbors: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne,
Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Lubeck, Magdeburg,
Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart

Merchant marine:
total : 450 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,402,437 GRT/6,649,382
DWT
ships by type: cargo 184, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 3,
combination ore/oil 1, container 195, liquefied gas tanker 8,
multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 12, passenger 4,
railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8,
short-sea passenger 8 (1996 est.)
note : includes ships from the former East Germany and West Germany

Airports: 613 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 544
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 63
1,524 to 2,437 m: 69
914 to 1,523 m: 51
under 914 m: 348 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 69
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m : 55 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 65 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm), Air Force,
Medical Corps, Border Police, Coast Guard

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 20,918,653 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 17,939,494 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 450,147 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $42.8 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American
cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest
Asian heroin and hashish, Latin American cocaine, and
European-produced synthetic drugs
______________________________________________________________________

GHANA

@Ghana:Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 238,540 sq km
land : 230,020 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 2,093 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877
km

Coastline: 539 km

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

Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast;
hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central
area

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite,
manganese, fish, rubber

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops : 7%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 35%
other: 24% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts

Environment - current issues: recent drought in north severely
affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife
populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake;
northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

@Ghana:People

Population: 18,100,703 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 3,928,741; female 3,891,591)
15-64 years: 54% (male 4,775,610; female 4,939,664)
65 years and over : 3% (male 268,579; female 296,518) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 33.88 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.49 years
male : 54.47 years
female: 58.57 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.43 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups: black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%,
Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%

Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.5%
male: 75.9%
female : 53.5% (1995 est.)

@Ghana:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast

Data code: GH

Government type: constitutional democracy

National capital: Accra

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central,
Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta,
Western

Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Constitution: new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November
1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet : Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to
approval by the Parliament
elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for
four-year terms; election last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held
NA 2000)
election results: Jerry John RAWLINGS elected president; percent of
vote - Rawlings 58.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA December
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC
126, NPP 65, PCP 5, PNC 1, to be determined 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress or NDC
[Dr. Huudu YAHAYA]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter Ala ADJETY];
People's Heritage Party or PHP [Alex ERSKINE]; National Convention
Party or NCP [Sarpong Kuman Kuman]; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere or
EGLE [Ashang OKINE]; Peoples Convention Party or PCP [P. K.
DONKOS-AYIFL, acting chairman]; Peoples National Convention or PNC
[Edward MAHAMA]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Harry SAWYERS
chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520
FAX : [1] (202) 686-4527
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward BRYNN
embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone: [233] (21) 775348
FAX: [233] (21) 775747

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow,
and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow
band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the
flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

Economy

Economy - overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has
twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa.
Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial
and technical assistance. Ghana has made steady progress in
liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a
rate of approximately 5% in 1995 and 1996, due largely to increased
gold, timber, and cocoa production - major sources of foreign
exchange. The economy, however, continues to revolve around
subsistence agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP and
employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 1995-96,
Ghana has made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment
program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector
wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment
of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have led to continued
inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising
public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $27 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,530 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 46%
industry: 16%
services: 38% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 36% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 3.7 million
by occupation: agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales
and clerical 15.2%, professional 3.7%, services, transportation, and
communications 7.7%

Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.05 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178
million (1993)

Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food
processing

Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (1995 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 1.19 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 6.1 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 304 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca),
peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber

Exports:
total value: $1.43 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: gold 39%, cocoa 31%, timber 6%, tuna, bauxite, aluminum,
manganese ore, and diamonds (1994 est.)
partners: UK, Germany, US, Togo, Netherlands, Japan

Imports:
total value: $1.84 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, consumer goods, foods,
intermediate goods
partners : UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands

Debt - external: $5.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993)

Currency: 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1 - 1,718.31 (October 1996), 1,200.43
(1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Ghana:Communications

Telephones: 70,000 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: poor to fair system
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 4 (repeaters 8)

Televisions: 250,000 (1993 est.)

@Ghana:Transportation

Railways:
total: 953 km (undergoing major renovation)
narrow gauge : 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 37,561 km
paved: 9,353 km (including 21 km of expressways)
unpaved: 28,208 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial
navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of
arterial and feeder waterways

Pipelines: 0 km

Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema

Merchant marine:
total : 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,900 GRT/37,240 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Airports: 12 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Palace Guard,
Civil Defense

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,254,386 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 2,365,286 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 178,560 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $30 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.8% (1994)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug
trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South
American cocaine destined for Europe and the US
______________________________________________________________________

GIBRALTAR

(dependent territory of the UK)

@Gibraltar:Geography

Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar,
which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the
southern coast of Spain

Geographic coordinates: 36 11 N, 5 22 W

Map references: Europe

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

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

Land boundaries:
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km

Coastline: 12 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland : NA%
other: 100% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, so
large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links
the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

@Gibraltar:People

Population: 28,913 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20% (male 3,121; female 2,725)
15-64 years: 66% (male 10,771; female 8,278)
65 years and over : 14% (male 1,629; female 2,389) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.48% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 13.45 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.78 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.3 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.16 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.01 years
male : 74.7 years
female: 81.47 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar

Ethnic groups: Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%,
other 3%), Muslim 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)

Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes),
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: above 95%
male: NA%
female : NA%

@Gibraltar:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar

Data code: GI

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK

Government type: NA

National capital: Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

Constitution: 30 May 1969

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects resident
six months or more

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor Admiral Sir Richard LUCE (NA February 1997)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the elected members
of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the
chief minister
note: there is also a Gibraltar Council that advises the governor
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed
by the queen; chief minister appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats, 15
elected; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results : percent of vote by party - SD 53%, SL 42%, NP 3%;
seats by party - SD 8, SL 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or SL
[Joe BOSSANO]; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement
of Civil Rights or GCL/AACR [Adolfo CANEPA]; Gibraltar Social
Democrats or SD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar National Party or NP [Joe
GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Housewives Association; Chamber
of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau)

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

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

Flag description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double width)
and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white
band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red
band

Economy

Economy - overview: Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping
trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international
conference center. The British military presence has been sharply
reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The
financial sector accounts for 15% of GDP; tourism, shipping services
fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. Because more
than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government
spending have a major impact on the level of employment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $205 million (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,600 (1993 est.)

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%

Labor force:
total: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
by occupation : services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $111.6 million
expenditures: $115.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995-96)

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce;
support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral waters,
beer, canned fish

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 33,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - production: 90 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: none

Exports:
total value: $57 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods
41%, other 8%
partners : UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG

Imports:
total value: $708 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Debt - external: $318 million (1987)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Gibraltar pound (£G) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (£G) per US$1 - 0.6023 (January
1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993),
0.5664 (1992); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British
pound

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Gibraltar:Communications

Telephones: 19,356 (1994)

Telephone system: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate
international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 4

Televisions: NA

@Gibraltar:Transportation

Railways:
total : NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only

Highways:
total: 49.9 km (including 12.9 km public highways)
paved: 49.9 km
unpaved: 0 km

Pipelines: 0 km

Ports and harbors: Gibraltar

Merchant marine:
total : 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 356,676 GRT/633,152 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 2, container 1, oil
tanker 14 (1996 est.)

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: source of friction between Spain and the UK
______________________________________________________________________

GLORIOSO ISLANDS

(possession of France)

@Glorioso Islands:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean,
northwest of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 11 30 S, 47 20 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 5 sq km
land : 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and
South Rock

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 35.2 km

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

Climate: tropical

Terrain: NA

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 12 m

Natural resources: guano, coconuts

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland : NA%
other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues: NA

@Glorioso Islands:People

Population: uninhabited

@Glorioso Islands:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Glorioso Islands
local long form : none
local short form: Iles Glorieuses

Data code: GO

Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high
commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy

Economy - overview: no economic activity

@Glorioso Islands:Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m : 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar
______________________________________________________________________

GREECE

@Greece:Geography

Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and
the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 131,940 sq km
land: 130,800 sq km
water: 1,140 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alabama

Land boundaries:
total: 1,210 km
border countries : Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km

Coastline: 13,676 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea : 6 nm

Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas
or chains of islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point : Mount Olympus 2,917 m

Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble

Land use:
arable land : 19%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 41%
forests and woodland: 20%
other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 13,140 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes

Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

Geography - note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and
southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing
an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

@Greece:People

Population: 10,616,055 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 905,146; female 845,929)
15-64 years: 67% (male 3,583,854; female 3,565,882)
65 years and over: 16% (male 759,648; female 955,596) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.44% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 9.75 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.32 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.17 years
male: 75.64 years
female: 80.89 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek

Ethnic groups: Greek 98%, other 2%
note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in
Greece

Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Languages: Greek (official), English, French

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 98%
female : 93% (1991 est.)

@Greece:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form : Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas
former : Kingdom of Greece

Data code: GR

Government type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by
referendum 8 December 1974

National capital: Athens

Administrative divisions: 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and
1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania,
Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama,
Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia,
Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia,
Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia,
Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia,
Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia,
Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos

Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of
the war of independence)

Constitution: 11 June 1975

Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into
civil, criminal, and administrative courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since
10 March 1995)
head of government : Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19
January 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Chamber of Deputies for a five-year
term; election last held 10 March 1995 (next to be held by NA March
2000); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS elected president;
percent of Chamber of Deputies vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Vouli ton
Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: elections last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held by
NA September 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 41.5%, ND 38.1%,
KKE 5.6%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 5.1%, DIKKI 4.4%,
Political Spring 2.9%; seats by party - PASOK 162, ND 108, KKE 11,
Coalition of the Left and Progress 10, DIKKI 9

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court, judges appointed for life by
the president after consultation with a judicial council; Special
Supreme Tribunal, judges appointed for life by the president after
consultation with a judicial council

Political parties and leaders: New Democracy or ND (conservative)
[Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK
[Konstandinos SIMITIS]; Communist Party or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA];
Political Spring [Andonios SAMARAS]; Coalition of the Left and
Progress (Synaspismos) [Nikolaos KONSTANDOPOULOS]; Democratic Social
Movement or DIKKI [Dhimitrios TSOVOLAS]; Rainbow Coalition [Pavlos
VOSKOPOULOS]

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC,
CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Loukas TSILAS
chancery : 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 939-5824
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco
consulate(s) : Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. T. NILES
embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842
telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951, 8401
FAX: [30] (1) 645-6282
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating
with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the
established religion of the country

Economy

Economy - overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the
public sector accounting for roughly half of GDP. Tourism is a major
source of foreign exchange, and agriculture is self-sufficient, except
for meat, dairy products, and animal feedstuffs. Macroeconomic
problems include mediocre GDP growth, the huge public sector,
substantial budget deficits, and 10% unemployment. The government's
hard drachma policy and public sector wage restraint are largely
responsible for the downward trend in inflation, now at the lowest
level in 22 years. Investment is likely to be the primary engine for
economic growth in 1997. Athens continues to rely heavily on EU aid,
which currently amounts to about 4% of GDP. Despite widespread
protests from unions and farmers, Prime Minister SIMITIS presented a
tough 1997 budget to help bring Greece closer to meeting the EU
criteria for participating in economic and monetary union. SIMITIS
faces strong opposition to further privatization and further
austerity. Plans to increase defense spending could undermine
SIMITIS's goal to curb government expenditures.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $106.9 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.2% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 25%
services : 64% (1994)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 8.6% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 4.21 million
by occupation : services 52%, agriculture 23%, industry 25% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $33 billion (excluding privatization receipts)
expenditures: $45 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996
est.)

Industries: tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals,
metal products; mining, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (1996 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 8.61 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 41.5 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,466 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives,
tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; meat, dairy products

Exports:
total value: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities : manufactured goods 53%, foodstuffs 34%, fuels 5% (1994)
partners: EU 60% (Germany 22%, Italy 14%, France 6%, UK 6%), US 3%
(1995)

Imports:
total value: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: manufactured goods 72%, foodstuffs 15%, fuels 10% (1994)
partners : EU 70% (Italy 18%, Germany 16%, France 8%, UK 6%) US 4%
(1995)

Debt - external: $34.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient : ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta

Exchange rates: drachmae (Dr) per US$1 - 251.55 (January 1997), 240.71
(1996), 231.66 (1995), 242.60 (1994), 229.26 (1993), 190.62 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Greece:Communications

Telephones: 5,571,293 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; microwave
radio relay carries most traffic; extensive open-wire network;
submarine cables to off-shore islands
domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and submarine cable
international: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 29, FM 17 (repeaters 20), shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 361 (1987 est.)

Televisions: 2.3 million (1993 est.)

@Greece:Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,474 km
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified; 100 km
double track)
narrow gauge: 887 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack type
railway for steep grades)

Highways:
total : 116,440 km
paved: 106,775 km (including 420 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,665 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals; including
the Corinth Canal (6 km) which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth
connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the
sea voyage from the Adriatic to Piraievs (Piraeus) by 325 km; and
three unconnected rivers

Pipelines: crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km

Ports and harbors: Alexandroupolis, Elevsis, Iraklion (Crete), Kavala,
Kerkira, Khalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Piraievs (Piraeus),
Thessaloniki, Volos

Merchant marine:
total: 984 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,571,920
GRT/49,674,832 DWT
ships by type: bulk 433, cargo 85, chemical tanker 22, combination
bulk 16, combination ore/oil 18, container 39, liquefied gas tanker 4,
multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 239, passenger 15,
passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 18,
short-sea passenger 82, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 1
note: Greece owns an additional 1,883 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 67,631,159 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas,
Belize, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Honduras, Liberia, Malta, Panama,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Syria, Vanuatu (1996
est.)

Airports: 78 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 75
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m : 18
under 914 m: 21 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force,
National Guard, Police

Military manpower - military age: 21 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,677,826 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 2,050,740 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 80,102 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.9 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: complex maritime, air, and territorial
disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey;
dispute with The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over name; in
September 1995, Skopje and Athens signed an interim accord resolving
their dispute over symbols and certain constitutional provisions;
Athens also lifted its economic embargo on the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia

Illicit drugs: a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis
and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and
precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits
or is consumed in Greece
______________________________________________________________________

GREENLAND

(part of the Danish realm)

@Greenland:Geography

Location: Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and
the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Geographic coordinates: 72 00 N, 40 00 W

Map references: Arctic Region

Area:
total: 2,175,600 sq km
land : 2,175,600 sq km (341,600 sq km ice-free, 1,834,000 sq km
ice-covered) (est.)

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 44,087 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea : 3 nm

Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point : Gunnbjorn 3,700 m

Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold,
platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales

Land use:
arable land : 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 99% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the
island

Environment - current issues: protection of the arctic environment;
preservation of their traditional way of life, including whaling; note
- Greenland participates actively in Inuit Circumpolar Conference
(ICC)

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Whaling (extended through Denmark)
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America
and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along
coast

@Greenland:People

Population: 58,768 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 7,843; female 7,711)
15-64 years: 68% (male 21,931; female 18,237)
65 years and over : 5% (male 1,393; female 1,653) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.94% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 16.39 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.99 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.84 years
male: 64.62 years
female: 73.08 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.19 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic

Ethnic groups: Greenlander 87% (Eskimos and Greenland-born whites),
Danish and others 13%

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Languages: Eskimo dialects, Danish, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect)

Literacy: NA
note: similar to Denmark proper

@Greenland:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland
local long form: none
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Data code: GL

Dependency status: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas
administrative division

Government type: NA

National capital: Nuuk (Godthab)

Administrative divisions: 3 districts (landsdele); Nordgronland,
Ostgronland, Vestgronland

Independence: none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas
administrative division)

National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: Danish

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972),
represented by High Commissioner Steen SPORE (since NA 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Gunnar MARTENS (since NA 1995)
cabinet: Landsstyre is formed from the Parliament on the basis of the
strength of parties
elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; high commissioner
appointed by the queen; prime minister is elected by the Parliament;
election last held NA 1991 (next to be held NA)
election results: Gunnar MARTENS elected prime minister; percent of
parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Landsting (31 seats;
members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 March 1995 (next to be held by 5 March 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 38.4%, Inuit
Ataqatigiit 20.3%, Atassut Party 30.1%; seats by party - Siumut 12,
Atassut Party 10, Inuit Ataqatigiit 6, conservative splinter grouping
2, independent 1
note: 2 representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or
Folketing on 21 September 1994 (next to be held by NA September 1998);
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberals 1, Social
Democrats 1; Greenlandic representatives are affiliated with Danish
political parties

Judicial branch: High Court or Landsret

Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling coalition; Siumut
(Forward Party, a moderate socialist party that advocates more
distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) [Lars
Emil JOHANSEN, chairman]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood,
a Marxist-Leninist party that favors complete independence from
Denmark rather than home rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Atassut Party
(Solidarity, a more conservative party that favors continuing close
relations with Denmark) [Daniel SKIFTE]; Akulliit Party [Bjarne
KREUTZMANN]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai HEINRICH]

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red
with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half
of the disk is red, the bottom half is white

Economy

Economy - overview: Greenland suffered negative economic growth in the
early 1990s, but since 1993 the economy has improved. Nonetheless,
prospects for substantial economic growth in the near future are poor.
The Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) has pursued a light fiscal
policy since the late 1980s which has helped create surpluses in the
public budget and low inflation. Since 1990, Greenland has registered
a foreign trade deficit following the closure of the last remaining
lead and zinc mine in 1989. Greenland today is critically dependent on
fishing and fish exports; the shrimp fishery is by far the largest
income earner. Despite resumption of several interesting hydrocarbon
and minerals exploration activities, it will take several years before
production can materialize. Tourism is the only sector offering any
near term potential and even this is limited due to a short season and
high costs. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises
and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's
economy. About half the government revenues come from grants from the
Danish Government, an important supplement of GDP.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $892 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,500 (1995 est.)

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.8% (1995)

Labor force:
total: 24,500 (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $706 million
expenditures: $697 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)

Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp), handicrafts, furs, small
shipyards

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 92,500 kW

Electricity - production: 274.4 million kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,691 kWh (1994-95)

Agriculture - products: forage crops, small garden vegetables; sheep,
fish

Exports:
total value: $363.4 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities : fish and fish products 95%
partners: Denmark 89%, Japan 5%, UK 5%

Imports:
total value: $421 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment 25%, manufactured goods
18%, food and live animals 11%, petroleum products 6%
partners : Denmark 7.5%, Iceland 3.8%, Japan 3.3%, Norway 3.1%, US
2.4%, Germany 2.4%, Sweden 1.8%

Debt - external: $243 million (1995)

Economic aid: substantial annual subsidy from Denmark - $427 million
(1995)

Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.117 (January 1997),
5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Greenland:Communications

Telephones: 19,600 (1995 est.)

Telephone system: adequate domestic and international service provided
by cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay
international : 2 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: one publically-owned radio and television
station (nationwide) and some local radio and TV stations

Radios: 23,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: one publicly-owned radio and television
station (nationwide) and some local radio and TV stations

Televisions: 12,000 (1991 est.)

@Greenland:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total : 150 km
paved: 60 km
unpaved: 90 km

Ports and harbors: Kangerluarsoruseq, Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik,
Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthaab), Saamiut, Sisimiut

Merchant marine:
total: 1 short-sea passenger (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,162
GRT/610 DWT (1995 est.)

Airports: 8 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m : 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military manpower - military age: 16 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: 494

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________

GRENADA

@Grenada:Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 61 40 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total : 340 sq km
land: 340 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 121 km

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

Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point : Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Land use:
arable land : 15%
permanent crops: 18%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 9%
other: 55% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season
lasts from June to November

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines
group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

@Grenada:People

Population: 95,537 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 21,051; female 20,335)
15-64 years: 52% (male 26,473; female 23,181)
65 years and over: 5% (male 2,090; female 2,407) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.66% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 28.61 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.53 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -16.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.13 years
male: 68.58 years
female: 73.72 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian

Ethnic groups: black

Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant sects
33.2%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male : 98%
female: 98% (1970 est.)

@Grenada:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada

Data code: GJ

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Saint George's

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and
Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint
John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Constitution: 19 December 1973

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen; prime minister appointed by the governor
general from among the members of the House of Assembly

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a
13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader
of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 20 June 1995 (next to be held by NA October
2000)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 5, GULP 2

Judicial branch: West Indies Associate States Supreme Court, an
associate judge resides in Grenada

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress or NDC
[George BRIZAN]; Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Sir Eric GAIRY];
The National Party or TNP [Ben JONES]; New National Party or NNP
[Keith MITCHELL]; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement or MBPM [Terrence
MARRYSHOW]; The Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Francis ALEXIS]

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : the ambassador to Barbados is accredited to
Grenada; Charge d'Affaires Dennis CARTER
embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's
mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies
telephone : [1] (809) 444-1173 through 1178
FAX: [1] (809) 444-4820

Flag description: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles
(top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side) with
a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow five-pointed
stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the
bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of
the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side
triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg,
after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative
divisions

Economy

Economy - overview: The agriculturally based economy was hurt in 1996
by the emergence of the pink mealy bug which destroyed much of the
cocoa harvest. Bananas, a major foreign exchange earner, also suffered
due to falling prices, low production, and poor quality. Tourism, the
leading foreign exchange earner, continued to do well, as did
manufacturing. Construction boomed in 1996 due to concessions for low
and middle income mortgages. The government introduced a 5% tax on
electricity and telephones and doubled the general consumption tax,
which caused a small rise in the inflation rate. The tourist industry
faces stiff competition over the next few years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $300 million (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,160 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 40.3%
services: 49.5% (1994 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.6% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 36,000
by occupation: services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%,
manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1 October 1996)

Budget:
revenues : $75.7 million (1996 est.)
expenditures: $126.7 million, including capital expenditures of $51
million (1996 est.)

Industries: food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations,
tourism, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (1992 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 17,300 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 88 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 794 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus,
avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Exports:
total value: $24 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing,
mace
partners : Caricom 32.3%, UK 20%, US 13%, Netherlands 8.8% (1991)

Imports:
total value: $128 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%,
chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989)
partners: US 31.2%, Caricom 23.6%, UK 13.8%, Japan 7.1% (1991)

Debt - external: $97 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed
rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Grenada:Communications

Telephones: 5,650 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and
Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 80,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1988 est.)

Televisions: 30,000 (1993 est.)

@Grenada:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,020 km
paved: 624 km
unpaved : 396 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors: Grenville, Saint George's

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 3 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : NA

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment
point for marijuana and cocaine to US
______________________________________________________________________

GUADELOUPE

(overseas department of France)

@Guadeloupe:Geography

Location: Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast
of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 16 15 N, 61 35 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 1,780 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km
water: 74 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands,
including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles
des Saintes, St. Barthelemy, and part of St. Martin

Area - comparative: 10 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

Coastline: 306 km

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

Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains;
Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other
islands are volcanic in origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m

Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster
tourism

Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 14%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 29% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an
active volcano

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to : NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

@Guadeloupe:People

Population: 411,823 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 25% (male 52,974; female 51,051)
15-64 years: 66% (male 134,686; female 137,828)
65 years and over: 9% (male 14,948; female 20,336) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.13% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.09 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.6 years
male : 74.57 years
female: 80.77 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe

Ethnic groups: black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese,
Chinese less than 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant
sects 1%

Languages: French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90%
male: 90%
female: 90% (1982 est.)

@Guadeloupe:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form: Guadeloupe

Data code: GP

Dependency status: overseas department of France

Government type: NA

National capital: Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March
1995)
head of government: President of the General Council Dominique LARIFLA
(since NA); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY
(since 22 March 1992)
cabinet : NA
elections: prefect appointed by the president of France on the advice
of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
election results: NA

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (43
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional(41 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held
by NA 1996); Regional Council - last held 31 January 1994 (next to be
held 16 March 1998)
election results : General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3, UPLG 1,
PSG 1, independent 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party -
RPR/FGPS-dissidents 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%,
UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats by party - RPR/FGPS-dissidents 22,
FGPS/FRUI.G 9, PPDG 5, PCG 3, UPLG 2
note : Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate;
elections last held in September 1995 (next to be held NA September
2004); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPDG 1, FGPS 1;
Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National
Assembly; elections last held on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held
25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PCG 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction
over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Daniel
BEAUBRUN]; Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian Medard
CELESTE]; Socialist Party or FGPS [Georges LOUISOR]; Popular Union for
the Liberation of Guadeloupe or UPLG [Claude MAKOUKE]; FGPS Dissidents
or FRUI.G [Dominique LARIFLA]; Union for French Democracy or UDF
[Marcel ESDRAS]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Movement for Independent
Guadeloupe or MPGI; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG;
General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; Christian Movement
for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG

International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU

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

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

Flag description: three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a
wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated
from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a five-pointed gold
star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of
France is used for official occasions

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light
industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large
subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists
from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships
visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is
slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now
supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other
vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption,
although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes
mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum
production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported.
Unemployment is especially high among the young.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,200 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 9%
services: 85% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.7% (1990)

Labor force:
total: 128,000
by occupation: agriculture 15%, industry 20%, services 65% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 31.3% (1995)

Budget:
revenues: $300 million
expenditures: $460 million, including capital expenditures of $90
million (1995)

Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production: 950 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and
vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Exports:
total value: $145 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities : bananas, sugar, rum
partners: France 70%, Martinique 17% (1991)

Imports:
total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer
goods, construction materials
partners : France 60%, EC, US, Japan (1991)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient : ODA, $NA
note: substantial annual French subsidies

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997),
5.1155(1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938
(1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Guadeloupe:Communications

Telephones: 64,916 (1984 est.)

Telephone system: domestic facilities inadequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 8 (private stations licensed to
broadcast FM 30), shortwave 0

Radios: 100,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 9

Televisions: 150,000 (1993 est.)

@Guadeloupe:Transportation

Railways:
total: NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines

Highways:
total : 2,082 km (national 329 km, regional 582 km, community/local
1171 km)
paved: 1,742 km
unpaved: 340 km (1985 est.)
note: in 1996 there were 3,200 km of roads

Ports and harbors: Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on St. Barthelemy), Marigot,
Pointe-a-Pitre

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 9 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m : 6 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________

GUAM

(territory of the US)

@Guam:Geography

Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 47 E

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total: 541.3 sq km
land: 541.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 125.5 km

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

Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by
northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season
from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in
center, mountains in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially
from Japan)

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 11%
permanent pastures : 15%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 45% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively
rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana
Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

@Guam:People

Population: 160,595 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 2.5% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 23.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over : NA male(s)/female
total population: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.29 years
male: 72.42 years
female: 76.13 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, and other 18%

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Languages: English, Chamorro, Japanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)

@Guam:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam

Data code: GQ

Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US with
policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the
Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
Interior

Government type: NA

National capital: Agana

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521);
Liberation Day, 21 July (1944)

Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Legal system: modeled on US; federal laws apply

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since
20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993)
head of government: Governor Carl GUTIERREZ (since 8 November 1994)
and Lieutenant Governor Madeleine BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994)
cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with
the consent of the Guam legislature
elections : governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same
ticket by popular vote and serve four-year terms; election last held 8
November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1998)
election results: Carl GUTIERREZ elected governor of Guam; percent of
vote - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) 54.6%, Tommy TANAKA (Republican) NA%

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature (21 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held NA November
1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Republican 11, Democratic 10
note: Guam elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives;
elections last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held NA November
1998); results - Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democrat 1

Judicial branch: Federal District Court, judge is appointed by the
president; Territorial Superior Court, judges appointed for eight-year
terms by the governor

Political parties and leaders: Republican Party (controls the
legislature); Democratic Party (party of the Governor)

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC

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

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

Flag description: territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red
border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed,
vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail,
and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters;
US flag is the national flag

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy depends mainly on US military spending
and on revenue generated by the tourism industry. Over the past 20
years, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction
boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than one
million tourists visit Guam each year. Most food and industrial goods
are imported, with about 75% from the US. Guam faces the problem of
building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of
military downsizing.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,000 (1996 est.)

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1992 est.)

Labor force:
total : 46,930 (1990)
by occupation: federal and territorial government 40%, private 60%
(trade 18%, services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues : $525 million
expenditures: $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1991)

Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment
services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing,
textiles

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 302,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - production: 750 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,566 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork,
poultry, beef

Exports:
total value : $34 million (f.o.b., 1984)
commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products,
construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
partners: US 25%, former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 63%,
other 12%

Imports:
total value: $493 million (c.i.f., 1984)
commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured
goods
partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive
large transfer payments from the general revenues of the US Federal
Treasury into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes; under
the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guamanian Treasury,
rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by
military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

@Guam:Communications

Telephones: 74,317 (March 1997)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international : satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
submarine cables to US and Japan

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 3

Televisions: 75,000 (1993 est.)

@Guam:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 674 km (all-weather roads)
paved : NA km
unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors: Apra Harbor

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 4

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________

GUATEMALA

@Guatemala:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El
Salvador and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km,
Mexico 962 km

Coastline: 400 km

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

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau (Peten)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Land use:
arable land : 12%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 54%
other : 5% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional
violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other
tropical storms

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of
the Sea

Geography - note: no natural harbors on west coast

@Guatemala:People

Population: 11,685,695 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,571,885; female 2,465,902)
15-64 years: 53% (male 3,117,718; female 3,121,276)
65 years and over : 4% (male 192,334; female 216,580) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.73% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 36.45 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.13 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 49.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.64 years
male: 63.02 years
female : 68.39 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.89 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish
called Ladino) 56%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 44%

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan

Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 Amerindian
languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 55.6%
male: 62.5%
female : 48.6% (1995 est.)

@Guatemala:Government

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

Data code: GT

Government type: republic

National capital: Guatemala

Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos, singular -
departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula,
El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa,
Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San
Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
note: suspended 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June
1993 following ouster of president

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14
January 1996); Vice President Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14
January 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14
January 1996); Vice President Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14
January 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 12 November 1995; runoff held 7 January 1996 (next
to be held NA November 2000)
election results : Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen elected president;
percent of vote - Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (PAN) 51.2%, Jorge
PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 48.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de
la Republica (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 November 1995 to select 80 new congressmen
(next to be held in November 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN
43, FRG 21, FDNG 6, DCG 4, UCN 3, UD 2, MLN 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that