Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Korean(s); adjective—Korean
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (28% of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents
Language: Korean; English widely taught in high school
Literacy: over 90%
Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricultural labor force in government-sanctioned unions
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
Type: republic
Capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do,Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto,Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do,Kwangju-jikhalsi, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto,Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*,Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi
Independence: 15 August 1948
Constitution: 25 February 1988
Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems,Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsoryICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,State Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State—President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister KANG Young Hoon (since 5 December 1988); Deputy Prime Minister CHO Soon (since 5 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: major party is government's DemocraticJustice Party (DJP), Roh Tae Woo, president, and Park Tae Chun, chairman;opposition parties are Peace and Democracy Party (PPD), Kim Dae Jung; KoreaReunification Democratic Party (RPD), Kim Young Sam; New Democratic RepublicanParty (NDRP), Kim Jong Pil; several smaller parties
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections:President—last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992);results—Roh Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, Kim Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%,Kim Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%;
National Assembly—last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held April 1992); results—DJP 34%, RPD 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, others 8%; seats—(299 total) DJP 125, PPD 71, RPD 59, NDRP 35, others 9
Communists: Communist party activity banned by government
Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches; large, potentially volatile student population concentrated in Seoul; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association
Member of: ADB, AfDB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, IMF,IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC—International WhalingCommission, IWC—International Wheat Council, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO,UNICEF, UNIDO, UN Special Fund, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO;official observer status at UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tong-Jin PARK; Chancery at 2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle; US—Ambassador Donald GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96301); telephone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618; there is a US Consulate in Pusan
Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field
- Economy Overview: The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. GNP increased almost 13% in both 1986 and 1987 and 12% in 1988 before slowing to 6.5% in 1989. Such a rapid rate of growth was achieved with an inflation rate of only 3% in the period 1986-87, rising to 7% in 1988 and 5% in 1989. Unemployment is also low, and some labor bottlenecks have appeared in several processing industries. While the South Korean economy is expected to grow at more than 5% annually during the 1990s, labor unrest—which led to substantial wage hikes in 1987-89—threatens to undermine noninflationary growth.
GNP: $200 billion, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 6.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1989)
Budget: revenues $33.6 billion; expenditures $33.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1990)
Exports: $62.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish; partners—US 33%, Japan 21%
Imports: $61.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains; partners—Japan 28%, US 25% (1990)
External debt: $30.5 billion (September 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1989)
Electricity: 20,500,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced, 1,850 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, automobile production, ship building
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops—rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products—cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $3.9 billion
Currency: South Korean won (plural—won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1—683.43 (January 1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987), 881.45 (1986), 870.02 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified; government owned
Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines: 294 km refined products
Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
Merchant marine: 423 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,006,481 GRT/11,658,104 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 130 cargo, 41 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 11 vehicle carrier, 49 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 10 combination ore/oil, 143 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
Airports: 112 total, 105 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; stations—79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations—2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,792,426; 8,260,886 fit for military service; 445,320 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 5% of GNP, or $10 billion (1989 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Kuwait- GeographyTotal area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline: 499 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands disputed by Iraq; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 92% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
- PeoplePopulation: 2,123,711 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Kuwaiti(s); adjective—Kuwaiti
Ethnic divisions: 27.9% Kuwaiti, 39% other Arab, 9% South Asian, 4%Iranian, 20.1% other
Religion: 85% Muslim (30% Shia, 45% Sunni, 10% other), 15% Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other
Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
Literacy: 71% (est.)
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0% trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7% power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti
Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel
- GovernmentLong-form name: State of Kuwait
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kuwait
Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli; note—there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29August 1962)
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 25 February
Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister,Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved 3 July 1986
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State—Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH (since 31 December 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad Abdallah al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note—out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
Elections: National Assembly—dissolved 3 July 1986 and no elections are planned
Communists: insignificant
Other political or pressure groups: large (350,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH;Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008;telephone (202) 966-0702;US—Ambassador W. Nathaniel HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite theHilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat,Kuwait City); telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The oil sector dominates the economy. Of the countries in the Middle East, Kuwait has oil reserves second only to those of Saudi Arabia. Earnings from hydrocarbons generate over 90% of both export and government revenues and contribute about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector is dependent upon oil-derived government revenues to provide infrastructure development and to promote limited industrial diversification. The economy is heavily dependent upon foreign labor—Kuwaitis account for less than 20% of the labor force. The early years of the Iran-Iraq war pushed Kuwait's GDP well below its 1980 peak; however, during the period 1986-88, GDP increased each year, rising to 5% in 1988.
GDP: $20.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
Exports: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—oil 90%; partners—Japan, Italy, FRG, US
Imports: $5.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—food, construction material, vehicles and parts, clothing; partners—Japan, US, FRG, UK
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988)
Electricity: 8,287,000 kW capacity; 21,500 million kWh produced, 10,710 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, salt, construction
Agriculture: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
Aid: donor—pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1—0.2915 (January 1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand, light gravel
Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km
Ports: Ash Shuwaykh, Ash Shuaybah, Mina al Ahmadi
Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,862,010 GRT/2,935,007 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 5 container, 5 livestock carrier, 18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent international, adequate domestic facilities; 258,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 688,516; about 411,742 fit for military service; 18,836 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 5.8% of GDP, or $1.2 billion (FY89)——————————————————————————Country: Laos- GeographyTotal area: 236,800 km2; land area: 230,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season(December to April)
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 58% forest and woodland; 35% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Note: landlocked
- PeoplePopulation: 4,023,726 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 51 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjective—Lao or Laotian
Ethnic divisions: 50% Lao, 15% Phoutheung (Kha), 20% tribal Thai, 15% Meo,Hmong, Yao, and other
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and other
Language: Lao (official), French, and English
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (est.)
Organized labor: Lao Federation of Trade Unions is subordinate to theCommunist party
- GovernmentLong-form name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Type: Communist state
Capital: Vientiane
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural)and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo,Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang,Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane,Vientiane*, Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
Constitution: draft constitution under discussion since 1976
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People'sDemocratic Republic), 2 December (1975)
Executive branch: president, chairman and five vice chairmen of theCouncil of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Supreme People's Assembly
Judicial branch: Central Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Acting President PHOUMI VONGVICHIT (since 29 October 1986);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers GeneralKAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since 2 December 1975)
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party(LPRP), Kaysone Phomvihan, party chairman; includes Lao PatrioticFront and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; otherparties moribund
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Supreme People's Assembly—last held on 26 March 1989 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(79 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders have fled the country
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mekong Committee, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: First Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interimDONE SOMVORACHIT; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008;telephone (202) 332-6416 or 6417;US—Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON; Embassy at RueBartholonie, Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, orBox V, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 2220, 2357, 2384
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
- Economy Overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. Recently, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid—from CEMA, IMF, and other international sources.
GDP: $585 million, per capita $150; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $71 million; expenditures $198 million, including capital expenditures of $132 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $57.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities— electricity, wood products, coffee, tin; partners—Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US
Imports: $219 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures; partners—Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam
External debt: $964 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced, 225 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient; principal crops—rice (80% of cultivated land), potatoes, vegetables, coffee, sugarcane, cotton
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and opium poppy for the international drug trade; production of cannabis increased in 1989; marijuana and heroin are shipped to Western countries, including the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $468 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $895 million
Currency: new kip (plural—kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1—700 (December 1989), 725 (1989), 350 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986), 95 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Pipelines: 136 km, refined products
Ports: none
Airports: 64 total, 50 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); stations—10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA, which consists of an army with naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 967,047; 517,666 fit for military service; 44,176 reach military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (1987)——————————————————————————Country: Lebanon- GeographyTotal area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley) separatesLebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Land use: 21% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 8% forest and woodland; 61% other; includes 7% irrigated
Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
- PeoplePopulation: 3,339,331 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 49 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Lebanese
Ethnic divisions: 93% Arab, 6% Armenian, 1% other
Religion: 75% Islam, 25% Christian, NEGL% Judaism; 17 legally recognizedsects—4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean,Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, GreekCatholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam(Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismailite, Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 650,000; 79% industry, commerce, and services, 11% agriculture, 10% goverment (1985)
Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
- Government Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians—then aided by Syrian troops—and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms—the original cause of the war.
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Elias Harawi was elected to succeed Muawad.
Progress toward lasting political compromise in Lebanon has been stalled by opposition from Christian strongman Gen. Michel Awn. Awn—appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing president Amin Gemayel in September 1988—called the national reconciliation accord illegitimate and has refused to recognize the new Lebanese Government.
Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops. Syria augmented its troop presence during the weeks following Muawad's assassination. Troops are deployed in West Beirut and its southern suburbs, in Al Biqa, and in northern Lebanon. Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in Al Biqa, from which it supports Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
The following description is based on the present constitutional andcustomary practices of the Lebanese system.
Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note—may be changed toLebanese Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate underFrench administration)
Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note—by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the president of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic—MajlisAlnuwab, French—Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
Leaders:Chief of State—Elias HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Salim AL-HUSS (since 24November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Elections: National Assembly—elections should be held every four years but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Suleiman RASSI; note—the former Lebanese Ambassador, Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal to Gen. Awn and has refused to abandon his residence or relinquish his post; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles; US—Ambassador John T. MCCARTHY; Embassy at Avenue de Paris, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Severe factional infighting in 1989 has been destroying physical property, interrupting the established pattern of economic affairs, and practically ending chances of restoring Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. The ordinary Lebanese citizen struggles to keep afloat in an environment of physical danger, high unemployment, and growing shortages. The central government's ability to collect taxes has suffered greatly from militia control and taxation of local areas. As the civil strife persists, the US dollar has become more and more the medium of exchange. Transportation, communications, and other parts of the infrastructure continue to deteriorate. Family remittances, foreign political money going to the factions, international emergency aid, and a small volume of manufactured exports help prop up the battered economy. Prospects for 1990 are grim, with expected further declines in economic activity and living standards.
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 33% (1987 est.)
Budget: revenues $50 million; expenditures $650 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products; partners—Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—NA; partners—Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
External debt: $935 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products—citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa is increasing; most hashish production is shipped to Western Europe
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $509 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-86), $9 million
Currency: Lebanese pound (plural—pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1—474.21 (December 1989), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km 1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth
Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka (none are under the direct control of the Lebanese Government); northern ports are occupied by Syrian forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by Israeli forces; illegal ports scattered along the central coast are owned and operated by various Christian, Druze, and Shia militias
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 325,361 GRT/494,319 DWT; includes 43 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 7 livestock carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 6 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 702,961; 434,591 fit for military service; about 44,625 reach military age (18) yearly
Defense expenditures: NA——————————————————————————Country: Lesotho- GeographyTotal area: 30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Land use: 10% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 66% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 24% other
Environment: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Note: surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
- PeoplePopulation: 1,754,664 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 62 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective—Basotho
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Europeans, 800 Asians
Religion: 80% Christian, rest indigenous beliefs
Language: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu andXhosa
Literacy: 59% (1989)
Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
- GovernmentLong-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing,Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Military Council, MilitaryCouncil, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly was dissolved in January 1970; following the military coup of 20 January 1986, legislative powers were vested in the monarch
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:Chief of State—King MOSHOESHOE II (Paramount Chief from 1960 untilindependence on 4 October 1966, when he became King); Heir Apparent LetsieDavid SEEISO (son of the King);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Military Council Maj. Gen. JustinMetsing LEKHANYA (since 24 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP),position vacant; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle; BasothoDemocratic Alliance (BDA), A. S. Nqojane; National Independent Party (NIP),A. C. Manyeli; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. Mapheleba; UnitedDemocratic Party, C. D. Mofeli
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:National Assembly —dissolved following the military coup inJanuary 1986; no date set for national elections
Communists: small Lesotho Communist Party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern AfricanCustoms Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534; US—Ambassador (vacant): Deputy Chief of Mission Howard F. JETER; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
- Economy Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa. Subsistence farming is the principal occupation for about 86% of the domestic labor force and accounts for about 20% of GDP. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of total GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 10.5% in 1987. During the period 1985-87 real GDP growth averaged 2.9% per year, only slightly above the population growth rate. In FY89 per capita GDP was only $245 and nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed.
GDP: $412 million, per capita $245; real growth rate 8.2% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.0% (FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1988)
Budget: revenues $159 million; expenditures $224 million, including capital expenditures of $68 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $55 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities—wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets; partners—South Africa 87%, EC 10%, (1985)
Imports: $526 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities—mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; partners—South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1985)
External debt: $235 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 10.3% (1988 est.)
Electricity: power supplied by South Africa
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $252 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $714 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $14 million
Currency: loti (plural—maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1—2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note—the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- CommunicationsRailroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics ofSouth Africa
Highways: 5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modest system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Air Wing, Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 381,015; 205,499 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.6% of GDP, or $35 million (1989 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Liberia- GeographyTotal area: 111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km,Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Land use: 1% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 39% forest and woodland; 55% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation
- PeoplePopulation: 2,639,809 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Liberian(s); adjective—Liberian
Ethnic divisions: 95% indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella; 5% descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians
Religion: 70% traditional, 20% Muslim, 10% Christian
Language: English (official); more than 20 local languages of theNiger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
Literacy: 35%
Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; 70.5% agriculture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and commerce, 14.2% other; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
Organized labor: 2% of labor force
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Liberia
Type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa,Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado,Nimba, Rivercess, Sino
Independence: 26 July 1847
Constitution: 6 January 1986
Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Dr. Samuel KanyonDOE (since 12 April 1980); Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January1986)
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia(NDPL), Augustus Caine, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), EmmanuelKoromah, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos Smith, chairman; UnitedPeople's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus Matthews, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991); results—Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%, others 22.7%;
Senate—last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held 15 October 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
House of Representatives—last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM,OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador James K. BISHOP; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155); telephone [231] 222991 through 222994
Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
- Economy Overview: In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and exporter of basic products. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits, the flight of capital, and deterioration of transport and other infrastructure continue to hold back economic progress.
GDP: $988 million, per capita $395; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners—US, EC, Netherlands
Imports: $335 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs; partners—US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
External debt: $1.7 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products—rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $77 million
Currency: Liberian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1—1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
Merchant marine: 1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/ 90,005,898 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical, 63 combination ore/oil, 41 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413 bulk, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Japan 10%, and Greece 10%; China owns at least 20 ships and Vietnam owns 1
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 76 total, 60 usable; 2 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: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations—3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense ForcesBranches: Armed Forces of Liberia, Liberia National Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 627,519; 335,063 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (1987)——————————————————————————Country: Libya- GeographyTotal area: 1,759,540 km2; land area: 1,759,540 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: 4,383 km total; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32o 30' N
Disputes: claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 91% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
- PeoplePopulation: 4,221,141 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (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: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Libyan(s); adjective—Libyan
Ethnic divisions: 97% Berber and Arab; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians,Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
Religion: 97% Sunni Muslim
Language: Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
Literacy: 50-60%
Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; 31% industry, 27% services, 24% government, 18% agriculture
Organized labor: National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members;General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of PetroleumEnergy and Allied Workers
- GovernmentLong-form name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital: Tripoli
Administrative divisions: 46 municipalities (baladiyat,singular—baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al Aziziyah,Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, Al Marj,Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash Shati,Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Bani Walid,Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu,Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut,Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat,Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq,Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan, Zuwarah; note—the number of municipalities mayhave been reduced to 13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi,Al Jabal al-Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah,Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat