Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 389 km total; 191 km Iraq, 198 km Saudi Arabia
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: harsh, dry desert
Terrain: sandy desert
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other (sandy desert)
Environment: harsh, inhospitable
Note: landlocked; located west of quadripoint with Iraq, Kuwait, andSaudi Arabia
- PeoplePopulation: uninhabited
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: joint administration by Iraq and Saudi Arabia; in July 1975, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to divide the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified, however, before it becomes effective.
- EconomyOverview: no economic activity
- CommunicationsHighways: none; some secondary roads
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the joint responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia——————————————————————————Country: Ireland- GeographyTotal area: 70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundary: 360 km with UK
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no precise definition;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with the UK; Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: deforestation
- PeoplePopulation: 3,500,212 (July 1990), growth rate -0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective—Irish
Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English minority
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other
Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 1,310,000; 57.3% services, 19.1% manufacturing and construction, 14.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)
Organized labor: 36% of labor force
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Ireland
Type: republic
Capital: Dublin
Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork,Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick,Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)
Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1937
Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17 March
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)
Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; note—Prime Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 21 October 1983 (next to be held October 1990); results—Dr. Patrick Hillery reelected;
Senate—last held on 17 February 1987 (next to be held February 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 16, Labor 3, Independents 11;
House of Representatives—last held on 12 July 1989 (next to be held NA June 1994); results—Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, independents 5.9%; seats—(166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15, Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, independents 6
Communists: under 500
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US—Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone [353] (1) 688777
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors reversed—orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red
- Economy Overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to about 4% in 1989. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1989 unemployment rate of 17.7% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.
GDP: $31.4 billion, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 17.7% (1989)
Budget: revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1989)
Exports: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—live animals, animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery; partners—EC 74% (UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%
Imports: $17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing; partners—EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%
External debt: $16.1 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 9.5% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and 14.8% of the labor force; principal crops—turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock—meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables
Aid: NA
Currency: Irish pound (plural—pounds); 1 Irish pound (LIr) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Irish pounds (LIr) per US$1—0.6399 (January 1990), 0.7047 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified
Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic
Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km
Ports: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,569 GRT/139,681 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 23 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations—45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 870,161; 705,765 fit for military service; 33,259 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or $500 million (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.
- GeographyTotal area: 20,770 km2; land area: 20,330 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km,Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km
Coastline: 273 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
Climate: temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;Jordan Rift Valley
Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land use: 17% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 6% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 11% irrigated
Environment: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation;
Note: there are 173 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 35 in theIsraeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-builtJewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
- People Population: 4,409,218 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1989); includes 70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 10,500 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 110,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (July 1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 79 years female (July 1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Israeli(s); adjective—Israeli
Ethnic divisions: 83% Jewish, 17% non-Jewish (mostly Arab)
Religion: 83% Judaism, 13.1% Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim), 2.3% Christian, 1.6% Druze
Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority;English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy: 88% Jews, 70% Arabs
Labor force: 1,400,000 (1984 est.); 29.5% public services; 22.8% industry, mining, and manufacturing; 12.8% commerce; 9.5% finance and business; 6.8% transport, storage, and communications; 6.5% construction and public works; 5.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 5.8% personal and other services; 1.0% electricity and water (1983)
Organized labor: 90% of labor force
- GovernmentLong-form name: State of Israel
Type: republic
Capital: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular—mehoz); Central,Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the Parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State—President Gen. Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986); Vice Prime Minister Shimon PERES (Prime Minister from 13 September 1984 to 20 October 1986, when he rotated to Vice Prime Minister)
Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity government comprising five parties that hold 95 of the Knesset's 120 seats; Members of the unity government—Likud bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir; Labor Party, Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Shimon Peres; Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Immigrant Absorption Yitzhak Peretz; National Religious Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Zevulun Hammer; Agudat Yisrael, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Moshe Zeev Feldman;
Opposition parties—Tehiya Party, Yuval Ne'eman; Tzomet Party,Rafael Eytan; Moledet Party, Rehavam Ze'evi; Degel HaTorah, AvrahamRavitz; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; United Workers' Party(MAPAM), Yair Tzaban; Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon Rubenstein; NewCommunist Party of Israel (RAKAH), Meir Wilner; Progressive List forPeace, Muhammad Mi'ari; Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab Darawshah
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results—Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by Knesset;
Parliament—last held 1 November 1988 (next to be held byNovember 1992);seats—(120 total) Likud bloc 40, Labor Party 39, SHAS 6, National ReligiousParty 5, Agudat Yisrael 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, RAKAH 4,Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2, Degel HaTorah 2,Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1, Arab Democratic Party 1
Communists: Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership) has some 1,500 members
Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
Member of: CCC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA,IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOOC, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OAS (observer), UN,UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moshe ARAD; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500; there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco; US—Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
- Economy Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed its agriculture and industry sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20 years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 6%, and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally been negative, but is offset by large transfer payments and foreign loans. Nearly two-thirds of Israel's $16 billion external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source for economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical scanning equipment. In 1987 the economy showed a 5.2% growth in real GNP, the best gain in nearly a decade; in 1988-89 the gain was only 1% annually, largely because of the economic impact of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Inflation dropped from an annual rate of over 400% in 1984 to about 16% in 1987-88 without any major increase in unemployment.
GNP: $38 billion, per capita $8,700; real growth rate 1% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 9% (December 1989)
Budget: revenues $24.2 billion; expenditures $26.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $7 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics; partners—US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
Imports: $12.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft; partners—US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg
External debt: $16.4 billion (March 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989)
Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for bread grains; principal products—citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products—beef, dairy, and poultry
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $15.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.2 billion
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- CommunicationsRailroads: 594 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
Highways: 4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced
Pipelines: crude oil, 708 km; refined products, 290 km; natural gas, 89 km
Ports: Ashdod, Haifa, Elat
Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,424GRT/560,085 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 20 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 55 total, 52 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; stations—11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense ForcesBranches: Israel Defense Forces; historically there have been no separateIsraeli military services; ground, air, and naval components are branches ofIsrael Defense Forces
Military manpower: eligible 15-49, 2,159,462; of the 1,089,346 males 15-49, 898,272 are fit for military service; of the 1,070,116 females 15-49, 878,954 are fit for military service; 43,644 males and 41,516 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.5% of GNP, or $3.2 billion (1989 est.); note—does not include an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid —————————————————————————— Country: Italy - Geography Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Austria 430 km, France 488 km, San Marino 39 km, Switzerland 740 km, Vatican City 3.2 km, Yugoslavia 202 km
Coastline: 4,996 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: South Tyrol question with Austria
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Land use: 32% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 17% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 10% irrigated
Environment: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snowslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice
Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
- PeoplePopulation: 57,664,405 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Italian(s); adjective—Italian
Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
Religion: almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic
Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantlyGerman speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region;Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
Literacy: 93%
Labor force: 23,670,000; 56.7% services, 37.9% industry, 5.4% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 40-45% of labor force (est.)
- GovernmentLong-form name: Italian Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Rome
Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular—regione);Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia,Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia,Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence: 17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
Constitution: 1 January 1948
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Executive branch: president, prime minister,
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senato) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Leaders:Chief of State—President Francesco COSSIGA (since 3 July 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since 22 July 1989, heads the government for the sixth time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio MARTELLI (since 23 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo Forlani (general secretary), Ciriaco De Mita (president); Communist Party (PCI), Achille Occhetto (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino Craxi (party secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Antonio Cariglia (party secretary); Liberal Party (PLI), Renato Altissimo (secretary general); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giuseppe (Pino) Rauti (national secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giorgio La Malfa (political secretary); Italy's 49th postwar government was formed on 23 July 1989, with Prime Minister Andreotti, a Christian Democrat, presiding over a five-party coalition consisting of the Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, Republicans, and Liberals
Suffrage: universal at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Elections: Senate—last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 33.9%, PCI 28.3%, PSI 10.7%, others 27.1%; seats—(320 total, 315 elected) DC 125, PCI 100, PSI 36, others 54;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 34.3%, PCI 26.6%, PSI 14.3%, MSI 5.9%, PRI 3.7%, PSDI 3.0%, Radicals 2.6%, Greens 2.5%, PLI 2.1%, Proletarian Democrats 1.7%, others 3.3%; seats—(630 total) DC 234, PCI 177, PSI 94, MSI 35, PRI 21, PSDI 17, Radicals 13, Greens 13, PLI 11, Proletarian Democrats 8, others 7
Communists: 1,673,751 members (1983)
Other political or pressure groups: Vatican City; three majortrade union confederations (CGIL—Communist dominated, CISL—ChristianDemocratic, and UIL—Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican);Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups(Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
Member of: ADB, ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, EIB,EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 328-5500; there are Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Consulates in Detroit and Newark (New Jersey); US—Ambassador Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794); telephone [39] (6) 46741; there are US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which has the colors reversed—orange (hoist side), white, and green
- Economy Overview: Since World War II the economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by large private companies and state enterprises and an undeveloped agricultural south. Services account for 58% of GDP, industry 37%, and agriculture 5%. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. The economic recovery that began in mid-1983 has continued through 1989, with the economy growing at an annual average rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing the increasing pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the European Community.
GDP: $803.3 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.9% (1989)
Budget: revenues $355 billion; expenditures $448 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $141.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—textiles, wearing apparel, metals, transportation equipment, chemicals; partners—EC 57%, US 9%, OPEC 4%
Imports: $143.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—petroleum, industrial machinery, chemicals, metals, food, agricultural products; partners—EC 57%, OPEC 6%, US 6%
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989)
Electricity: 56,022,000 kW capacity; 201,400 million kWh produced, 3,500 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery and transportation equipment, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GNP and 5% of the work force; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products; principal crops—fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 554,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $18.7 billion
Currency: Italian lira (plural—lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1—1,262.5 (January 1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned—2,100 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km 0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone, 7,010 km earth
Inland waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 19,400 km
Ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples,Palermo (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine: 547 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,871,505 GRT/10,805,368 DWT; includes 6 passenger, 41 short-sea passenger, 100 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 22 container, 72 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 2 livestock carrier, 147 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 37 chemical tanker, 29 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 16 combination ore/oil, 55 bulk, 2 combination bulk
Civil air: 132 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 138 usable; 88 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: well engineered, constructed, and operated; 28,000,000 telephones; stations—144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM, 135 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,721,704; 12,855,022 fit for military service; 430,782 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP, or $19 billion (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d'Ivoire) - Geography Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 3,110 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Coastline: 515 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons—warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 52% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
- PeoplePopulation: 12,478,024 (July 1990), growth rate 4.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 100 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Ivorian(s); adjective—Ivorian
Ethnic divisions: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; about 2 million foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe; about 130,000 to 330,000 non-Africans (30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese)
Religion: 63% indigenous, 25% Muslim, 12% Christian
Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
Literacy: 42.7%
Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, for estry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of wage labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note—the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Type: republic; one-party presidential regime established 1960
Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements,singular—(departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville,Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna,Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue,Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota,Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra,Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tengrela, Tiassale, Touba,Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 3 November 1960
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 7 December
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—President Dr. FelixHOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960)
Political parties and leaders: only party—Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President—last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results—President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was reelected without opposition to his fifth consecutive five-year term;
National Assembly—last held 10 November 1985 (next to be held 10 November 1990); results—PDCI is the only party; seats—(175 total) PDCI 175
Communists: no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate),Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300; US—Ambassador Kenneth BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01); telephone [225] 32-09-79
Flag: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors reversed—green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France
- Economy Overview: The Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1989.
GDP: $10.0 billion, per capita $900; real growth rate - 6.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
Budget: revenues $1.6 billion (1986); expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $504 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton; partners—France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%; partners—France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
External debt: $14.7 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987)
Electricity: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,440 million kWh produced, 210 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
Agriculture: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops—corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not selfsufficient in bread grain and dairy products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $344 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including multinationally ownedAir Afrique fleet
Airports: 49 total, 42 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations—3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,874,925; 1,487,909 fit for military service; 141,193 males reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (1987)——————————————————————————Country: Jamaica- GeographyTotal area: 10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,022 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use: 19% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 29% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November); deforestation; water pollution
Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and JamaicaChannel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
- PeoplePopulation: 2,441,396 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Jamaican(s); adjective—Jamaican
Ethnic divisions: 76.3% African, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian andAfro-East Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chinese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other
Religion: predominantly Protestant (including Anglican and Baptist), someRoman Catholic, some spiritualist cults
Language: English, Creole
Literacy: 74%
Labor force: 728,700; 32% agriculture, 28% industry and commerce, 27% services, 13% government; shortage of technical and managerial personnel (1984)
Organized labor: 25% of labor force (1989)
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Kingston
Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston,Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, SaintElizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 6 August 1962
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister,Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 9 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), MichaelManley; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward Seaga; Workers' Party of Jamaica(WPJ), Trevor Munroe
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives—last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—PNP 57%, JLP 43%; seats—(60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)
Other political or pressure groups:Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA,IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Keith JOHNSON; Chancery atSuite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660;there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York;US—Ambassador Glen HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual LifeCenter, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone [809] 929-4850
Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete and real growth was up about 3% for 1989.
GDP: $3.8 billion, per capita $1,529; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 18.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)
Exports: $948 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas; partners—US 40%, UK, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods; partners—US 46%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
External debt: $4.4 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,437,000 kW capacity; 2,390 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP, one-third of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops—sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis has decreased, with production shifting from large to small plots and nurseries to evade aerial detection and eradication
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Communist countries (1974-88), $349 million
Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1—6.5013 (January 1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- CommunicationsRailroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth
Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 41 total, 25 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones; stations—10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
- Defense ForcesBranches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 620,400; 440,967 fit for military service; no conscription; 27,014 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (1987) —————————————————————————— Country: Jan Mayen (territory of Norway) - Geography Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 124.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beweenGreenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
Note: located 590 km north-northwest of Iceland between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea north of the Arctic Circle
- PeoplePopulation: no permanent inhabitants
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: territory of Norway
Note: administered by a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen(Svalbard)
- Economy Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced,NA kWh per capita (1989)
- CommunicationsAirports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: radio and meteorological station
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the responsibility of Norway——————————————————————————Country: Japan- GeographyTotal area: 377,835 km2; land area: 374,744 km2; includes Bonin Islands(Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima,Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits—La Perouse orSoya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea orTsushima Strait)
Disputes: Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands administered by Soviet Union; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use: 13% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes 9% irrigated
Environment: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia
- PeoplePopulation: 123,642,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 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: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Japanese
Ethnic divisions: 99.4% Japanese, 0.6% other (mostly Korean)
Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian
Language: Japanese
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 63,330,000; 54% trade and services; 33% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 3% government (1988)
Organized labor: about 29% of employed workers; 76.4% public service, 57.9% transportation and telecommunications, 48.7% mining, 33.7% manufacturing, 18.2% services, 9.3% wholesale, retail, and restaurant
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Tokyo
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural);Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma,Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima,Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki,Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga,Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama,Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu; 3 May 1947, constitutional monarchy established
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house orHouse of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives(Shugi-in)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court