The 1994 Edition of the CIA World FactbookPart 22 out of 46
president; includes Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC); other parties moribund Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders fled the country in 1975 Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM PHOMMACHANH chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-6416 or 6417 FAX: (202) 332-4923 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Victor TOMSETH embassy: Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane mailing address: B. P. 114, Vientiane, or American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [851] 2220, 2357, or 3570, 16-9581 FAX: [851] 4675 Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band @Laos, Economy Overview: Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of major productive enterprises. Since 1986, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure; it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former USSR and Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $4.1 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 7% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $900 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.8% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues: $83 million expenditures: $188.5 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.) Exports: $133 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin partners: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, FSU, US, China Imports: $266 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures partners: Thailand, FSU, Japan, France, Vietnam, China External debt: $1.1 billion (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 12% (1991 est.); accounts for about 18% of GDP (1991 est.) Electricity: capacity: 226,000 kW production: 990 million kWh consumption per capita: 220 kWh (1992) Industries: tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in nondrought years; principal crops - rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock - buffaloes, hogs, cattle, poultry Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, opium poppy for the international drug trade, third-largest opium producer (180 metric tons in 1993) Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $605 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million Currency: 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1 - 720 (July 1993). 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June @Laos, Communications Railroads: none Highways: total: 27,527 km paved: bituminous 1,856 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 7,451 km; unimproved earth 18,220 km (often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September) Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km Ports: none Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT Airports: total: 53 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 15 Telecommunications: service to general public practically non-existant; radio communications network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); broadcast stations - 10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station @Laos, Defense Forces Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,015,357; fit for military service 547,566; reach military age (18) annually 49,348 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP @Latvia, Geography Location: Eastern Europe, bordering on the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia Map references: Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 64,100 sq km land area: 64,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia Land boundaries: total 1,078 km, Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km Coastline: 531 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: the Abrene section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944 Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters Terrain: low plain Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 39% other: 21% Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1990) Environment: current issues: air and water pollution because of a lack of waste conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga and Daugava River heavily polluted; contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals and petroleum products at military bases natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change @Latvia, People Population: 2,749,211 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 0.5% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 13.84 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 12.61 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 3.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.44 years male: 64.37 years female: 74.75 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Latvian(s) adjective: Latvian Ethnic divisions: Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%, Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2% Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 1.407 million by occupation: industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%, other 43% (1990) @Latvia, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Latvia conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Digraph: LG Type: republic Capital: Riga Administrative divisions: 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Leipaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preiju Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918) Constitution: newly elected Parliament in 1993 restored the 1933 constitution Legal system: based on civil law system Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993); Saeima elected President ULMANIS in the third round of balloting on 7 July 1993 head of government: Prime Minister Valdis BIRKAVS (since 20 July 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Supreme Council Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Saeima): elections last held 5-6 June 1993 (next to be held NA June 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (100 total) LC 36, LNNK 15, Concord for Latvia 13, LZS 12, Equal Rights 7, LKDS 6, TUB 6, DCP 5 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Latvian Way Union (LC), Valdis BIRKAVS; Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), Alvars BERKIS; Latvian National Independence Movement (LNNK), Andrejs KRASTINS, Aristids LAMBERGS, cochairmen; Concord for Latvia, Janis JURKANS; Equal Rights, Sergejs DIMANIS; Christian Democrat Union (LKDS), Peteris CIMDINS, Andris SAULITIS, Janis RUSKO; Fatherland and Freedom (TUB), Maris GRINBLATS, Roberts MILBERGS, Oigerts DZENTIS; Democratic Center (DCP), Ints CALITIS; Popular Front of Latvia (LTF), Uldis AUGSTKALNS Member of: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE (guest), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: (202) 726-8213 and 8214 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Ints M, SILINS embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, Riga 226050 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 46-9-882-0046 FAX: 46-9-882-0047 Flag: two horizontal bands of maroon (top and bottom), white (middle, narrower than other two bands) @Latvia, Economy Overview: Latvia is rapidly becoming a dynamic market economy, rivaled only by Estonia among the former Soviet states in the speed of its transformation. The transition has been painful with GDP falling over 45% in 1992-93, according to official statistics, and industrial production experiencing even steeper declines. Nevertheless, the government's tough monetary policies and reform program, which foster the development of the private sector and market mechanisms, have kept inflation low, created a dynamic private sector - much of which is not captured in official statistics - and expanded trade ties with the West. Much of agriculture is already privatized and the government plans to step up the pace of privatization of state enterprises. The economy is now poised for recovery and will benefit from the country's strategic location on the Baltic Sea, its well-educated population, and its diverse - albeit largely obsolete - industrial structure. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $13.2 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Latvian statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990) National product real growth rate: -5% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $4,810 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% per month (1993 average) Unemployment rate: 5.6% (December 1993) Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $429 million from non-FSU countries (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: oil products, timber, ferrous metals, dairy products, furniture, textiles partners: Russia, other CIS countries, Western Europe Imports: $NA commodities: fuels, cars, ferrous metals, chemicals partners: Russia, other CIS countries, Western Europe External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate -38% (1992 est.) Electricity: capacity: 2,140,000 kW production: 5.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,125 kWh (1992) Industries: employs 41% of labor force; highly diversified; dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products; produces buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles Agriculture: employs 16% of labor force; principally dairy farming and livestock feeding; products - meat, milk, eggs, grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; fishing and fish packing Illicit drugs: transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia and Latin America to Western Europe; limited producer of illicit opium; mostly for domestic consumption; also produces illicit amphetamines for export Economic aid: $NA Currency: 1 lat = 100 cents; introduced NA March 1993 Exchange rates: lats per US$1 - 0.5917 (January 1994), 1.32 (March 1993) Fiscal year: calendar year @Latvia, Communications Railroads: 2,400 km (1,524-mm gauge); 270 km electrified Highways: total: 59,500 km paved and graveled: 33,000 km unpaved: earth 26,500 km (1990) Inland waterways: 300 km perennially navigable Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) Ports: coastal - Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja; inland - Daugavpils Merchant marine: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 850,840 GRT/1,107,403 DWT, cargo 15, container 2, oil tanker 41, refrigerated cargo 27, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 Airports: total: 50 usable: 15 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 7 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip Telecommunications: Latvia is better provided with telephone service than most of the other former Soviet republics; subscriber circuits 660,000; subscriber density 240 per 1,000 persons (1993); an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network covers 75% of Latvia's population; international traffic carried by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch and through the new Ericsson AXE local/transit digital telephone exchange in Riga and through the Finnish cellular net; electronic mail capability by Sprint data network; broadcasting services NA @Latvia, Defense Forces Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 652,444; fit for military service 514,055; reach military age (18) annually 18,803 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: 176 million rubles, 3%-5% of GDP; note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results @Lebanon Header Note: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war in October 1990. Under the Ta'if accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process. Since December 1990, the Lebanese have formed three cabinets and conducted the first legislative election in 20 years. Most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended central government authority over about one-half of the country. Hizballah, the radical Sh'ia party, retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy militia, The Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declared security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of Jazzine. As of December 1993, Syria maintained about 30,000-35,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League early in Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Beirut. @Lebanon, Geography Location: Middle East, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria Map references: Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 10,400 sq km land area: 10,230 sq km comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut Land boundaries: total 454 km, Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km Coastline: 225 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976 Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region Land use: arable land: 21% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 8% other: 61% Irrigated land: 860 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air and water pollution natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity @Lebanon, People Population: 3,620,395 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 1.98% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 27.89 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: -1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 39.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.35 years male: 66.92 years female: 71.9 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.39 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) adjective: Lebanese Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant), Judaism NEGL% Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Armenian, English Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 80% male: 88% female: 73% Labor force: 650,000 by occupation: industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture 11%, government 10% (1985) @Lebanon, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Lebanon conventional short form: Lebanon local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah local short form: none Digraph: LE Type: republic Capital: Beirut Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa, 'Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943) Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education Executive branch: chief of state: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989); note - by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI (since 22 October 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by the president in consultation with the members of the National Assembly Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab, French - Assemblee Nationale) Lebanon's first legislative election in 20 years was held in the summer of 1992; the National Assembly is composed of 128 deputies, one-half Christian and one-half Muslim; its mandate expires in 1996 Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases) Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Riad TABBARAH chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-6300 FAX: (202) 939-6324 consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Mark HAMBLEY mailing embassy: Antelias, Beirut address: P. O. Box 70-840, PSC 815, Box 2, Beirut; FPO AE 09836-0002 telephone: [961] 417774 or 415802 through 415803, 402200, 403300 FAX: [961] (1) 407-112 Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band @Lebanon, Economy Overview: Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, banking transactions, manufactured and farm exports, the narcotics trade, and international emergency aid are the main sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991, industrial production, agricultural output, and exports showed substantial gains. The further rebuilding of the war-ravaged country was delayed in 1992 because of an upturn in political wrangling. In October 1992, Rafiq HARIRI was appointed Prime Minister. HARIRI, a wealthy entrepreneur, has announced ambitious plans for Lebanon's reconstruction which involve a substantial influx of foreign aid and investment. Progress on restoring basic services is limited. Since Prime Minister HARIRI's appointment, the most significant improvement lies in the stabilization of the Lebanese pound, which had gained over 30% in value by yearend 1993. The year 1993 was marked by efforts of the new administration to encourage domestic and foreign investment and to obtain additional international assistance. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.1 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 4.2% (1992) National product per capita: $1,720 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1993 est.) Unemployment rate: 35% (1993 est.) Budget: revenues: $990 million expenditures: $1.98 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.) Exports: $925 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products partners: Saudi Arabia 21%, Switzerland 9.5%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 12%, US 5% Imports: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: Consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products partners: Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3% External debt: $700 million (1993 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 25% (1993 est.) Electricity: capacity: 1,300,000 kW production: 3.413 billion kWh consumption per capita: 990 kWh (1992) Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products - citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, goats; not self-sufficient in grain Illicit drugs: illicit producer of hashish and heroin for the international drug trade; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America; increasingly a key locus of cocaine processing and trafficking Economic aid: aid for Lebanon's reconstruction programs currently totals $1.3 billion since October 1992, including a $175 million loan from the World Bank Currency: 1 Lebanese pound (#L) = 100 piasters Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (#L) per US$1 - 1,713.00 (December 1993), 2,200.00 (1992), 928.23 (1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989) Fiscal year: calendar year @Lebanon, Communications Railroads: system in disrepair, considered inoperable Highways: total: 7,300 km paved: 6,200 km unpaved: gravel 450 km; improved earth 650 km Pipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation) Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ra'Sil'ata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre, Jubayl, Shikka Jadidah Merchant marine: 63 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 268,268 GRT/399,054 DWT, bulk 4, cargo 39, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 2, livestock carrier 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2, combination ore/oil 1 Airports: total: 9 usable: 7 with permanent-surface runways: 5 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1 Telecommunications: telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding still underway; 325,000 telephones (95 telephones per 1,000 persons); domestic traffic carried primarily by microwave radio relay and a small amount of cable; international traffic by satellite - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station (erratic operations), coaxial cable to Syria; microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to Jordan, 3 submarine coaxial cables; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV (numerous AM and FM stations are operated sporadically by various factions) @Lebanon, Defense Forces Branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 827,267; fit for military service 514,291 Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2% of GDP (1992 budget) @Lesotho, Geography Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 30,350 sq km land area: 30,350 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: total 909 km, South Africa 909 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: none Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 66% forest and woodland: 0% other: 24% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification natural hazards: subject to periods of drought international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping Note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa Population: 1,944,493 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 2.48% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 9.19 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 69.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.14 years male: 60.32 years female: 64.01 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) adjective: Basotho Ethnic divisions: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800 Religions: Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1966) total population: 59% male: 44% female: 68% Labor force: 689,000 economically active by occupation: 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa @Lesotho, Government Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland Digraph: LT Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Maseru Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Constitution: 2 April 1993 Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993 ) cabinet: Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consisting of the Assembly or lower house whose members are chosen by popular election and the Senate or upper house whose members consist of the 22 principal chiefs and 10 other members appointed by the ruling party; election held in March 1993 (first since 1971); all 65 seats in the Assembly were won by the BCP Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basutholand Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Vincent MALEBO; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob M. KENA Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Teboho KITLELI chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 797-5533 through 5536 FAX: (202) 234-6815 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Karl HOFMANN embassy: address NA, Maseru mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312-666 FAX: [266] 310-116 Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner @Lesotho, Economy Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa (recently equal to about 45% of GDP). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor; a large portion of the adult male workforce is employed in South African mines. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and construction (in particular, a major water improvement project which will permit the sale of water to South Africa). Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 13% in 1991. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.8 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 2.4% (FY 93) National product per capita: $1,500 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17% (FY93) Unemployment rate: at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.) Budget: revenues: $438 million expenditures: $430 million, including capital expenditures of $155 million (1994 est.) Exports: $109 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets partners: South Africa 42%, EC 28%, North and South America 25% (1991) Imports: $964 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum partners: South Africa 94%, Asia 3%, EC 1% (1991) External debt: $428 million (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP Electricity: power supplied by South Africa Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP (1991 est.) and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; US (1992), $10.3 million; US (1993 est.), $10.1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $819 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1 - 3.4096 (January 1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March @Lesotho, Communications Railroads: 2.6 km; owned, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa Highways: total: 7,215 km paved: 572 km unpaved: gravel, stabilized earth 2,337 km; improved earth 1,806 km; unimproved earth 2,500 km (1988) Airports: total: 28 usable: 28 with permanent-surface runways: 3 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2 Telecommunications: rudimentary system consisting of a few landlines, a small microwave system, and minor radio communications stations; 5,920 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station @Lesotho, Defense Forces Branches: Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; including Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police Manpower availability: males age 15-49 438,096; fit for military service 236,324 Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13% of GDP (1990 est.) @Liberia, Geography Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 111,370 sq km land area: 96,320 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee Land boundaries: total 1,585 km, Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km Coastline: 579 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 200 nm International disputes: none Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 39% other: 55% Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation @Liberia, People Population: 2,972,766 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 3.33% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 43.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 12.34 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 113.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.73 years male: 55.27 years female: 60.25 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.36 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian Ethnic divisions: indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), Americo-Liberians 5% (descendants of repatriated slaves) Religions: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10% Languages: English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages come from this group Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 40% male: 50% female: 29% Labor force: 510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy by occupation: agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2% note: non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age @Liberia, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Liberia conventional short form: Liberia Digraph: LI Type: republic Capital: Monrovia Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe Independence: 26 July 1847 National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847) Constitution: 6 January 1986 Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Council of State David KPOMAKPOR (since March 1994); election last held on 15 October 1985 (next scheduled to be held September 1994); results - Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note - President Doe was killed by rebel forces on 9 September 1990 cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war note: a transitional coalition government was formed as part of a July 1993 Cotonou Peace Treaty negotiated under UN auspices by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war; elections now scheduled for September 1994 Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional Legislative Assembly, the members of which are appointed by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war note: the former bicameral legislature no longer exists and there is no assurance that it will ever be reconstituted Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Joseph KOFA, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman; National Patriotic Party (NPP), Charles TAYLOR, chairman; Liberian Peoples Party (LPP), Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Konah K. BLACKETT chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: (202) 723-0437 through 0440 consulate(s) general: New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d' Affaires William P. TWADDELL embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia mailing address: P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813 telephone: [231] 222991 through 222994 FAX: [231] 223710 Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag @Liberia, Economy Overview: Civil war since 1990 has destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. Political instability threatens prospects for economic reconstruction and repatriation of some 750,000 Liberian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. The political impasse between the interim government and rebel leader Charles Taylor has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.3 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 1.5% (1988) National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989) Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988) Budget: revenues: $242.1 million expenditures: $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989 est.) Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.) commodities: iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee partners: US, EC, Netherlands Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.) commodities: rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs partners: US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS External debt: $2.1 billion (September 1993 est.) Industrial production: growth rate NA% (1993-94); much industrial damage caused by factional warfare Electricity: capacity: 410,000 kW production: 750 million kWh consumption per capita: 275 kWh (1991) Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds) Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products - rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption Illicit drugs: increasingly a transshipment point for heroin and cocaine Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $870 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million Currency: 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (officially fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992 (unofficial rate floats against the US dollar) Fiscal year: calendar year @Liberia, Communications Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government Highways: total: 10,087 km paved: 603 km unpaved: gravel 5,171 km (includes 2323km of private roads of rubber and timber firms, open to the public); earth 4,313 km Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas) Merchant marine: 1,595 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,923,236 GRT/97,692,316 DWT, barge carrier 3, bulk 423, cargo 126, chemical 122, combination bulk 30, combination ore/oil 64, container 112, liquefied gas 67, oil tanker 468, passenger 32, refrigerated cargo 61, roll-on/roll-off cargo 19, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 59 note: a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top 4 owning flags are US 14%, Japan 13%, Norway 10%, and Hong Kong 8% Airports: total: 59 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 4 Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement @Liberia, Defense Forces Branches: the ultimate structure of the Liberian military force will depend on who is the victor in the ongoing civil war Manpower availability: males age 15-49 707,927; fit for military service 377,950 Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP @Libya, Geography Location: Northern Africa, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 1,759,540 sq km land area: 1,759,540 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska Land boundaries: total 4,383 km, Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km Coastline: 1,770 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32 degrees 30 minutes north International disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad, and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May 1994; Libya had withdrawn its forces in response to the ICJ ruling, but as of June 1994 still maintained an airfield in the disputed area; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; claims part of northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 8% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90% Irrigated land: 2,420 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea @Libya, People Population: 5,057,392 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 3.72% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 45.29 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 8.14 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 63.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.88 years male: 61.73 years female: 66.13 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.38 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan Ethnic divisions: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians Religions: Sunni Muslim 97% Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 64% male: 75% female: 50% Labor force: 1 million (includes about 280,000 resident foreigners) by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18% @Libya, Government Names: conventional long form: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya conventional short form: Libya local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishirakiyah local short form: none Digraph: LY Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship Capital: Tripoli Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular - baladiyat); Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy) National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969) Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977 Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Mu'ammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969) head of government: Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abd al Majid al-Qa'ud (since 29 January 1994) cabinet: General People's Committee; established by the General People's Congress note: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: none Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: none US diplomatic representation: none Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion) @Libya, Economy Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. In 1990 per capita GDP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but GDP growth rates have slowed and fluctuate sharply in response to changes in the world oil market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. Windfall revenues from the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and resulted in a current account surplus through 1992. The nonoil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for only 5% of GDP, it employs about 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements. The UN sanctions imposed in April 1992 have not yet had a major impact on the economy because Libya's oil revenues generate sufficient foreign exchange that, along with Libya's large currency reserves, sustain food and consumer goods imports as well as equipment for the oil industry and ongoing development projects. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $32 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 1% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $6,600 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1993 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $8.1 billion expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.) Exports: $7.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Egypt Imports: $8.26 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern Europe External debt: $3.5 billion excluding military debt (1991 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 10.5% (1990) Electricity: capacity: 4,935,000 kW production: 14.385 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,952 kWh (1992) Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million note: no longer a recipient Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.3233 (January 1994), 0.3250 (1993), 0.3013 (1992), 0.2684 (1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989) Fiscal year: calendar year Railroads: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all previous systems having been dismantled; current plans are to construct a standard gauge (1.435 m) line from the Tunisian frontier to Tripoli and Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a mineral rich area, but there has been no progress; other plans made jointly with Egypt would establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt to Tobruk with completion set for mid-1994, progress unknown Highways: total: 19,300 km paved: bituminous 10,800 km unpaved: gravel, earth 8,500 km Inland waterways: none Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes liquified petroleum gas 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Ra's al Unif Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 690,703 GRT/1,211,184 DWT, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, oil tanker 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 4 Airports: total: 145 usable: 132 with permanent-surface runways: 57 with runways over 3,659 m: 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 28 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 52 Telecommunications: modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations @Libya, Defense Forces Branches: Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (including Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,094,052; fit for military service 649,976; reach military age (17) annually 52,723 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.3 billion, 15% of GDP (1989 est.) @Liechtenstein, Geography Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 160 sq km land area: 160 sq km comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: total 78 km, Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: claims 620 square miles of Czech territory confiscated from its royal family in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February 1948, when the Communists seized power Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third Natural resources: hydroelectric potential Land use: arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 38% forest and woodland: 19% other: 18% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea Note: landlocked; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation @Liechtenstein, People Population: 30,281 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 1.26% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 13.08 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.46 years male: 73.76 years female: 81.03 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Liechtensteiner(s) adjective: Liechtenstein Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5% Religions: Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other 2.8% (1988) Languages: German (official), Alemannic dialect Literacy: age 10 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 19,905 of which 11,933 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day by occupation: industry, trade, and building 53.2%, services 45%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.8% (1990) @Liechtenstein, Government Names: conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein conventional short form: Liechtenstein local long form: Furstentum Liechtenstein local short form: Liechtenstein Digraph: LS Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy Capital: Vaduz Administrative divisions: 11 communes (gemeinden, singular - gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz Independence: 23 January 1719 (Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established) National holiday: Assumption Day, 15 August Constitution: 5 October 1921 Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Prince Hans ADAM II (since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born 11 June 1968) head of government: Mario FRICK (since 15 December 1993); Deputy Head of Government Dr. Thomas BUECHEL (since 15 December 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; elected by the Diet; confirmed by the sovereign Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag):
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