- Defense ForcesBranches: Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard),Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1984)——————————————————————————Country: Guinea-Bissau- GeographyTotal area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size ofConnecticut
Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)—that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber
Land use: 11% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
- PeoplePopulation: 998,963 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 19 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 127 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective—Guinea-Bissauan
Ethnic divisions: about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
Religion: 65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
Literacy: 34% (1986)
Labor force: 403,000 (est.); 90% agriculture, 5% industry, services, and commerce, 5% government; 53% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: only one trade union—the National Union of Workers ofGuinea-Bissau (UNTG)
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974
Capital: Bissau
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular—regiao);Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara,Tombali
Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly PortugueseGuinea)
Constitution: 16 May 1984
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (AssembleiaNacional Popular)
Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—President of theCouncil of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984);First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); SecondVice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party—African Party for theIndependence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), PresidentJoao Bernardo Vieira, leader; the party decided to retain thebinational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President of Council of State—last held 19 June 1989 (next to be held 19 June 1994); results—Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo Vieira was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly;
National People's Assembly—last held 15 June 1989 (next to be held 15 June 1994); results—PAIGC is the only party; seats—(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils;
Regional Councils—last held 1 June 1989 (next to be held 1 June 1994); results—PAIGC is the only party; seats—(473 total) PAIGC 473, by public plebiscite
Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,IMF, IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977; US—Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is C. P. 297, Bissau); telephone [245] 212816, 21817, 213674
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell
- Economy Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority.
GDP: $152 million, per capita $160 (1988); real growth rate 5.6% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $20 million; expenditures $25 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $15 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels; partners—Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Cape Verde, China
Imports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, foods, petroleum; partners—Portugal, USSR, EC countries, other Europe, Senegal, US
External debt: $465 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.7% (1986 est.)
Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 80% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully exploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $519 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $68 million
Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural—pesos); 1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1—650 pesos(December 1989), NA (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- CommunicationsHighways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth
Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce
Ports: Bissau
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations—1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP); Army, Navy, and AirForce are separate components
Military manpower: males 15-49, 215,552; 122,824 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (1987)——————————————————————————Country: Guyana- GeographyTotal area: 214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries: 2,462 km total; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km,Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Essequibo area claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 83% forest and woodland; 8% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
- PeoplePopulation: 764,649 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 19 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Guyanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Guyanese
Ethnic divisions: 51% East Indian, 43% black and mixed, 4% Amerindian, 2%European and Chinese
Religion: 57% Christian, 33% Hindu, 9% Muslim, 1% other
Language: English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 268,000; 44.5% industry and commerce, 33.8% agriculture, 21.7% services; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
Organized labor: 34% of labor force
- GovernmentLong-form name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Type: republic
Capital: Georgetown
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni,Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara,Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice,Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
Constitution: 6 October 1980
Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures ofRoman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Executive branch: executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Leaders:Chief of State—President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985);First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Congress (PNC), HughDesmond Hoyte; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi Jagan; Working People'sAlliance (WPA), Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnarine, Moses Bhagwan; Democratic LaborMovement (DLM), Paul Tennassee; People's Democratic Movement (PDM),Llewellyn John; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph Bacchus; United Force(UF), Marcellus Feilden Singh; Vanguard for Liberation and Democracy (VLD,also known as Liberator Party), Gunraj Kumar, J. K. Makepeace Richmond
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Executive President—last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held late 1990); Hugh Desmond Hoyte was elected president (the leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections—PNC 78%);
National Assembly—last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held by 9 December 1990); results—PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats—(65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
Communists: 100 (est.) hardcore within PPP; top echelons of PPP and PYO(Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include manyCommunists; small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC,some of whom formerly belonged to the PPP
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress (TUC);Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee(CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBA, IBRD, ICAO,ICJ, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador Theresa A. TULL; Embassy at 31 Main Street, Georgetown; telephone [592] (02) 54900 through 54909
Flag: green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and the green
- Economy Overview: After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1984-87, GDP dropped by 3% in 1988, the result of bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 35%, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program—aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth—requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period.
GDP: $323 million, per capita $420; real growth rate - 3.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $173 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $215 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities—bauxite, sugar, rice, shrimp, gold, molasses, timber, rum; partners—UK 37%, US 12%, Canada 10.6%, CARICOM 4.8% (1986)
Imports: $216 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—manufactures machinery, food, petroleum; partners—CARICOM 41%, US 18%, UK 9%, Canada 3% (1984)
External debt: $1.8 billion, including arrears (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 221,000 kW capacity; 583 million kWh produced, 760 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and over 50% of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $109 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $234 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $242 million
Currency: Guyanese dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1—33.0000 (January 1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- CommunicationsRailroads: 187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Ports: Georgetown
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 66 total, 63 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; stations—4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: Guyana Defense Force (including Maritime Corps and Air Corps),Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service
Military manpower: males 15-49, 201,104; 152,958 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 4.3% of GDP, or $13.8 million (1988 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Haiti- GeographyTotal area: 27,750 km2; land area: 27,560 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundary: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Natural resources: bauxite
Land use: 20% arable land; 13% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
- PeoplePopulation: 6,142,141 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Haitian(s); adjective—Haitian
Ethnic divisions: 95% black, 5% mulatto and European
Religion: 75-80% Roman Catholic (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), 10% Protestant
Language: French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speakCreole
Literacy: 23%
Labor force: 2,300,000; 66% agriculture, 25% services, 9% industry; shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
Organized labor: NA
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Haiti
Type: republic
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements, singular—departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
Constitution: 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986; draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) consisted of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, but was dissolved on 20 June 1988 after the coup of 19 June 1988 (there was a subsequent coup on 18 September 1988); after naming a civilian as provisional president on 13 March 1990, it was announced that a Council of State was being formed
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—Provisional PresidentErtha PASCAL-TROUILLOT (since 13 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH),Sylvio Claude; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire Eugene;Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc Bazin;National Alliance Front (FNC), Gerard Gourgue; National Agricultural andIndustrial Party (PAIN), Louis Dejoie; Congress of Democratic Movements(CONACOM), Victor Bono; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA),Serge Gilles; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), DejeanBelizaire; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner Comeau;Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert De Ronceray
Suffrage: none
Elections: President—last held 17 January 1988 (next to be held by mid-June 1990); on 13 March 1990 Ertha Pascal-Trouillot became provisional president after the resignation of President Lieut. Gen Prosper Avril;
Legislature—last held 17 January 1988, but dissolved on 20 June 1988; the government has promised an election by mid-June 1990
Communists: United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH), Rene Theodore (roughly 2,000 members)
Other political or pressure groups: Democratic Unity Confederation (KID),Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH),Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS), Autonomous Haitian Workers(CATH), National Popular Assembly (APN)
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Fritz VOUGY; Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-4090 through 4092; there are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US—Ambassador Alvin ADAMS; Embassy at Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince), telephone [509] (1) 20354 or 20368, 20200, 20612
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
- Economy Overview: About 85% of the population live in absolute poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs 65% of the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains the most critical problem facing the economy.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 0.3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $252 million; expenditures $357 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
Exports: $200 million (f.o.b., FY88); commodities—light manufactures 65%, coffee 17%, other agriculture 8%, other products 10%; partners—US 77%, France 5%, Italy 4%, FRG 3%, other industrial 9%, less developed countries 2% (FY86)
Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., FY88); commodities—machines and manufactures 36%, food and beverages 21%, petroleum products 11%, fats and oils 12%, chemicals 12%; partners—US 65%, Netherlands Antilles 6%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 2%, Asia 2% (FY86)
External debt: $820 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 2% (FY87)
Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 482 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, bauxite mining, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Agriculture: accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops—coffee and sugarcane; staple crops—rice, corn, sorghum, mangoes; shortage of wheat flour
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $638 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $627 million
Currency: gourde (plural—gourdes); 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1— 5.0 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Railroads: 40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line
Highways: 4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,150 km unimproved
Inland waterways: negligible; less than 100 km navigable
Ports: Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better; 36,000 telephones; stations—33 AM, no FM, 4 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,264,238; 679,209 fit for military service; 59,655 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA —————————————————————————— Country: Heard Island and McDonald Islands (territory of Australia) - Geography Total area: 412 km2; land area: 412 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 101.9 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploration;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: Heard Island—bleak and mountainous, with an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands—small and rocky
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: primarily used as research stations
Note: located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean
- PeoplePopulation: uninhabited
- GovernmentLong-form name: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Type: territory of Australia administered by the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
- EconomyOverview: no economic activity
- CommunicationsPorts: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the responsibility of Australia——————————————————————————Country: Honduras- GeographyTotal area: 112,090 km2; land area: 111,890 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline: 820 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: several sections of the boundary with El Salvador are in dispute
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish
Land use: 14% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 34% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
- PeoplePopulation: 5,259,699 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Honduran(s); adjective—Honduran
Ethnic divisions: 90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2% black, 1% white
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority
Language: Spanish, Indian dialects
Literacy: 56%
Labor force: 1,300,000; 62% agriculture, 20% services, 9% manufacturing, 3% construction, 6% other (1985)
Organized labor: 40% of urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1985)
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Honduras
Type: republic
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos,singular—departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan,Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca,Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara,Valle, Yoro
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence ofEnglish common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—Rafael Leonardo CALLEJASRomero (since 26 January 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH)—faction leaders,Carlos Flores Facusse (leader of Florista Liberal Movement), Carlos Montoya(Azconista subfaction), Ramon Villeda Bermudez and Jorge Arturo Reina (M-Liderfaction); National Party (PNH), Ricardo Maduro, party president; PNHfaction leaders—Oswaldo Ramos Soto and Rafael Leonardo Callejas(Monarca faction); National Innovation and Unity Party-SocialDemocrats (PINU-SD), Enrique Aguilar Cerrato Paz; Christian DemocraticParty (PDCH), Jorge Illescas; Democratic Action (AD), Walter LopezReyes
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:President—last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be heldNovember 1993);results—Leonardo Rafael Callejas (PNH) 51%,Jose Azcona Hoyo (PLH) 43.3%, others 5.7%;
National Congress—last held on 24 November 1985 (next to be held November 1993); results—PLH 51%, PNH 45%, PDCH 1.9%, PINU 1.5%, others 0.65; seats—(134 total) PLH 62, PNH 71, PINU 1
Communists: up to 1,500; Honduran leftist groups—Communist Party ofHonduras (PCH), Party for the Transformation of Honduras (PTH),Morazanist Front for the Liberation of Honduras (FMLH), People'sRevolutionary Union/Popular Liberation Movement (URP/MPL), PopularRevolutionary Forces-Lorenzo Zelaya (FPR/LZ), Socialist Party of HondurasCentral American Workers Revolutionary Party (PASO/PRTC)
Other political or pressure groups: National Association of HonduranCampesinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP),Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), National Union of Campesinos (UNC),General Workers Confederation (CGT), United Federation of Honduran Workers(FUTH), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH),Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro; Chancery at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-7700 through 7702; there are Honduran Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville; US—Ambassador Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34022); telephone [504] 32-3120
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, employing 62% of the labor force, and producing two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low, however, leaving considerable room for improvement. Although industry is still in its early stages, it employs nearly 15% of the labor force, accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 48% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include a high population growth rate, a high unemployment rate, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and an export sector dependent mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations.
GDP: $4.4 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 12% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1988)
Budget: revenues $1,053 million; expenditures $949 million, including capital expenditures of $159 million (1989)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber; partners—US 52%, FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988); commodities—machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs; partners—US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico
External debt: $3.2 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1988)
Electricity: 655,000 kW capacity; 1,980 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $776 million
Currency: lempira (plural—lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1—2.00 (fixed rate); 3.50 parallel exchange and black-market rate (October 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft
Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
Merchant marine: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 438,495 GRT/660,990 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 87 cargo, 12 refrigerated cargo, 9 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 vehicle carrier, 17 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
Airports: 180 total, 140 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: improved, but still inadequate; connection into Central American Microwave System; 35,100 telephones; stations—176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense ForcesBranches: Armed Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,222,858; 727,851 fit for military service; 61,493 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or $82.5 million (1990 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Hong Kong (colony of the UK) - Geography Total area: 1,040 km2; land area: 990 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 30 km with China
Coastline: 733 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use: 7% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 79% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons
- PeoplePopulation: 5,759,990 (July 1990), growth rate 1.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: adjective—Hong Kong
Ethnic divisions: 98% Chinese, 2% other
Religion: 90% eclectic mixture of local religions, 10% Christian
Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 2,640,000; 35.8% manufacturing; 22.7% wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotel, 17.1% services, 7.5% construction, 8.4% transport and communications, 6.1% financing, insurance, and real estate (1986)
Organized labor: 15% of labor force (1986)
- GovernmentLong-form name: none; abbreviated HK
Type: colony of the UK; scheduled to revert to China in 1997
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: none (colony of the UK)
Independence: none (colony of the UK); the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of theExecutive Council
Legislative branch: Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Governor Sir David Clive WILSON (since 9 April 1987);Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)
Political parties: none
Suffrage: limited to about 71,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies
Elections: Legislative Council—indirect elections last held 26 September 1985 (next to be held in September 1991) seats—(58 total; 26 elected, 32 appointed)
Communists: 5,000 (est.) cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China
Other political or pressure groups: Federation of Trade Unions (Communist controlled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (Nationalist Chinese dominated), Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Communist controlled), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, and several small pro-democracy groups.
Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), GATT, IMO, INTERPOL, MultifiberArrangement, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as a British colony, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK; US—Consul General Donald M. ANDERSON; Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong (mailing address is Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO San Francisco 96659-0002); telephone [852] (5) 239011
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield
- Economy Overview: Hong Kong has a free-market economy and is autonomous in financial affairs. Natural resources are limited and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing is the backbone of the economy, accounting for more than 20% of GDP, employing 36% of the labor force, and exporting about 90% of output. Real GDP growth averaged a remakable 8% in 1987-88, then slowed to a respectable 3% in 1989. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now less than 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain solid so long as major trading partners continue to be prosperous. The crackdown in China in 1989 casts a long shadow over the longer term economic outlook.
GDP: $57 billion, per capita $10,000; real growth rate 3% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1988)
Budget: $6.9 billion (FY89)
Exports: $63.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988), including reexports of $22.9 billion; commodities—clothing, textile yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys; partners—US 31%, China 14%, FRG 8%, UK 6%, Japan 5%
Imports: $63.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; partners—China 31%, Japan 20%, Taiwan 9%, US 8%
External debt: $9.6 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.0% (1988)
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 23,000 million kWh produced, 4,030 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Agriculture: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $141.2 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $899.8 million
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$—7.800 (March 1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987), 7.795 (1986), 7.811 (1985); note—linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- CommunicationsRailroads: 35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
Highways: 1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Ports: Hong Kong
Merchant marine: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 4,391,102 GRT/7,430,337 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil, 7 liquefied gas, 69 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 2,300,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) relay station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service relay station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations—1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
- Defense ForcesBranches: Headquarters of British Forces, Gurkha Brigade, Royal Navy,Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong PoliceForce
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,703,890; 1,320,914 fit for military service; 46,440 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.5% of GDP, or $300 million (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK —————————————————————————— Country: Howland Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 1.6 km2; land area: 1.6 km2
Comparative area: about 2.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 6.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 95% other
Environment: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North PacificOcean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
- PeoplePopulation: uninhabited
Note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish andWildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the NationalWildlife Refuge System
- EconomyOverview: no economic activity
- Communications Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan—they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard —————————————————————————— Country: Hungary - Geography Total area: 93,030 km2; land area: 92,340 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: 2,251 km total; Austria 366 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia 631 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Disputes: Transylvania question with Romania; Nagymaros Dam dispute with Czechoslovakia
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
Land use: 54% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 11% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year
Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between USSR and Mediterranean basin
- PeoplePopulation: 10,568,686 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Hungarian(s); adjective—Hungarian
Ethnic divisions: 96.6% Hungarian, 1.6% German, 1.1% Slovak, 0.3%Southern Slav, 0.2% Romanian
Religion: 67.5% Roman Catholic, 20.0% Calvinist, 5.0% Lutheran, 7.5% atheist and other
Language: 98.2% Hungarian, 1.8% other
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 4,860,000; 43.2% services, trade, government, and other, 30.9% industry, 18.8% agriculture, 7.1% construction (1988)
Organized labor: 96.5% of labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT) includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government; independent unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions in operation
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Hungary
Type: republic
Capital: Budapest
Administrative divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular—megye) and1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes,Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Sopron,Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Komarom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar,Szolnok, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
Independence: 1001, unification by King Stephen I
Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972 and 18 October 1989
Legal system: based on Communist legal theory, with both civil law system (civil code of 1960) and common law elements; Supreme Court renders decisions of principle that sometimes have the effect of declaring legislative acts unconstitutional; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Liberation, 4 April (1945)
Executive branch: president, premier, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—President-designate Arpad GONCZ (since 2 May 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 23 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Forum, Jozsef Antall, chairman; Free Democrats, Janos Kis, chairman; Independent Smallholders, Istvan Prepeliczay, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Rezso Nyers, chairman; Young Democrats; Christian Democrats, Sandor Keresztes, president; note—the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly—last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(394 total) Democratic Forum 165, Free Democrats 92, Independent Smallholders 43, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 21, Christian Democrats 21, independent candidates or jointly sponsored candidates 19; an additional 8 seats will be given to representatives of minority nationalities
Communists: fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, IBEC, ICAC, ICAO,ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Peter VARKONYI; Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador-designate Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone [36] (1) 126-450
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
- Economy Overview: Hungary's postwar Communist government spurred the movement from a predominantly agricultural to an industrialized economy. The share of the labor force in agriculture dropped from over 50% in 1950 to under 20% in 1989. Agriculture nevertheless remains an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GNP and 30% of employment. Nearly three-fourths of foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe. Low rates of growth reflect the inability of the Soviet-style economy to modernize capital plant and motivate workers. GNP grew about 1% in 1988 and declined by 1% in 1989. Since 1985 external debt has more than doubled, to nearly $20 billion. In recent years Hungary has moved further than any other East European country in experimenting with decentralized and market-oriented enterprises. These experiments have failed to jump-start the economy because of: limitations on funds for privatization; continued subsidization of insolvent state enterprises; and the leadership's reluctance to implement sweeping market reforms that would cause additional social dislocations in the short term.
GNP: $64.6 billion, per capita $6,108; real growth rate - 1.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $14.0 billion; expenditures $14.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $944 million (1988)
Exports: $19.1 billion (f.o.b. 1988); commodities—capital goods 36%, foods 24%, consumer goods 18%, fuels and minerals 11%, other 11%; partners USSR 48%, Eastern Europe 25%, developed countries 16%, less developed countries 8% (1987)