The 1997 CIA World FactbookPart 17 out of 47elected, 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 (ŁG) = 100 pence
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