Terrain: central plain; eastern plateau (Khorat); mountains elsewhere
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
Land use: 34% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 30% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 7% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution; land subsidence in Bangkok area
Note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia andSingapore
- PeoplePopulation: 55,115,683 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 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: 34 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Thai (sing. and pl.); adjective—Thai
Ethnic divisions: 75% Thai, 14% Chinese, 11% other
Religion: 95.5% Buddhist, 4% Muslim, 0.5% other
Language: Thai; English is the secondary language of the elite; ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy: 82%
Labor force: 26,000,000; 73% agriculture, 11% industry and commerce, 10% services, 6% government (1984)
Organized labor: 300,000 union members (1986)
- GovernmentLong-form name: Kingdom of Thailand
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Bangkok
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces (changwat, singular and plural);Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai,Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi,Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri,Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom,Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat,Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao,Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae,Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et,Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun,Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak,Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala,Yasothon
Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date); never colonized
Constitution: 22 December 1978
Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers,Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Ratha Satha) consists of an upper house or Senate (Woothi Satha) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Satha Poothan)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarn Dika)
Leaders:Chief of State—King BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ (since 9 June 1946);Heir Apparent Crown Prince VAJIRALONGKORN (born 28 July 1952);
Head of Government Prime Minister Maj. Gen. CHATCHAI CHUNHAWAN (since 9 August 1988); Deputy Prime Minister CHUAN LIKPHAI
Political parties and leaders: Democrat Party (DP), Social ActionParty (SAP), Thai Nation Party (TNP), People's Party (Ratsadon),People's Party (Prachachon), Thai Citizens Party (TCP),United Democracy Party, Solidarity Party, Thai People's Party,Mass Party, Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Representatives—last held 24 July 1988 (next to be held within 90 days of July 1992); results—TNP 27%, SAP 15%, DP 13%, TCP 9%, others 36%; seats—(357 total) TNP 96, Solidarity 62, SAP 54, DP 48, TCP 31, People's Party (Ratsadon) 21, People's Party (Prachachon) 17, Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma) 14, United Democracy Party 5, Mass Party 5, others 4
Communists: illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members (est.); armed Communist insurgents throughout Thailand total 300 to 500 (est.)
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, ASPAC, Association of Tin ProducingCountries, CCC, Colombo Plan, GATT, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU,UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador VITTHYA VEJJAJIVA; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7200; there are Thai Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York; US—Ambassador Daniel O'DONAHUE; Embassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96346); telephone [66] (2) 252-5040; there is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai and Consulates in Songkhla and Udorn
Flag: five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red
- Economy Overview: Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed its second straight exceptionally prosperous year in 1989. Real output again rose about 11%. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing sector benefited from export-oriented investment, and agriculture grew by 4.0% because of improved weather. The trade deficit of $5.2 billion was more than offset by earnings from tourism ($3.9 billion), remittances, and net capital inflows. The government has followed a fairly sound fiscal and monetary policy, aided by increased tax receipts from the fast-moving economy. In 1989 the government approved new projects—roads, ports, electric power, communications—needed to refurbish the now overtaxed infrastructure. Although growth in 1990-91 must necessarily fall below the 1988-89 pace, Thailand's immediate economic outlook is good, assuming the continuation of prudent government policies in the context of a private-sector-oriented development strategy.
GNP: $64.5 billion, per capita $1,160; real growth rate 10.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $12.1 billion; expenditures $9.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89)
Exports: $19.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—textiles 12%, fishery products 12%, rice 8%, tapioca 8%, jewelry 6%, manufactured gas, corn, tin; partners—US 18%, Japan 14%, Singapore 9%, Netherlands, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China (1988)
Imports: $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—machinery and parts 23%, petroleum products 13%, chemicals 11%, iron and steel, electrical appliances; partners—Japan 26%, US 14%, Singapore 7%, FRG, Malaysia, UK (1987)
External debt: $18.5 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.5% (1989)
Electricity: 7,100,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, other light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GNP and 73% of labor force; leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops—rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 2.2 million tons (1987)
Illicit drugs: a minor producer, major illicit trafficker of heroin, particularly from Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the international drug market; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been affected by eradication efforts, but unusually good weather boosted output in 1989
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $828 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million
Currency: baht (plural—baht); 1 baht (B) = 100 satang
Exchange rates: baht (B) per US$1—25.726 (January 1990), 25.699 (1989), 25.294 (1988), 25.723 (1987), 26.299 (1986), 27.159 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- CommunicationsRailroads: 3,940 km 1.000-meter gauge, 99 km double track
Highways: 44,534 km total; 28,016 km paved, 5,132 km earth surface, 11,386 km under development
Inland waterways: 3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Pipelines: natural gas, 350 km; refined products, 67 km
Ports: Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha
Merchant marine: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,688 GRT/730,750 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 70 cargo, 8 container, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 1 chemical tanker, 3 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 41 (plus 2 leased) major transport aircraft
Airports: 127 total, 103 usable; 56 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: service to general public adequate; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and radio relay network; 739,500 telephones (1987); stations—over 200 AM, 100 FM, and 11 TV in government-controlled networks; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT; domestic satellite system being developed
- Defense ForcesBranches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai MarineCorps), Royal Thai Air Force; paramilitary forces include Border Patrol Police,Thahan Phran (irregular soldiers), Village Defense Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 15,617,486; 9,543,119 fit for military service; 610,410 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GNP, or $1.9 billion (1989 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Togo- GeographyTotal area: 56,790 km2; land area: 54,390 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 1,647 km total; Benin 644 km, Burkina 126 km,Ghana 877 km
Coastline: 56 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain: gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Natural resources: phosphates, limestone, marble
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 42% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; recent droughts affecting agriculture; deforestation
- PeoplePopulation: 3,674,355 (July 1990), growth rate 3.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 112 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Togolese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Togolese
Ethnic divisions: 37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, andKabye; under 1% European and Syrian-Lebanese
Religion: about 70% indigenous beliefs, 20% Christian, 10% Muslim
Language: French, both official and language of commerce; major African languages are Ewe and Mina in the south and Dagomba and Kabye in the north
Literacy: 40.7%
Labor force: NA; 78% agriculture, 22% industry; about 88,600 wage earners, evenly divided between public and private sectors; 50% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: one national union, the National Federation of TogoleseWorkers
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Togo
Type: republic; one-party presidential regime
Capital: Lome
Administrative divisions: 21 circumscriptions (circonscriptions, singular—circonscription); Amlame (Amou), Aneho (Lacs), Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo (Assoli), Bassar (Bassari), Dapaong (Tone), Kante (Keran), Klouto (Kloto), Kpagouda (Binah), Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome (Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Doufelgou), Notse (Haho), Sotouboua, Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Tchaoudjo, Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo); note—the 21 units may now be called prefectures (prefectures, singular—prefecture) and reported name changes for individual units are included in parenthesis
Independence: 27 April 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration, formerly French Togo)
Constitution: 30 December 1979, effective 13 January 1980
Legal system: French-based court system
National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 13 January (1967)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel), Supreme Court(Cour Supreme)
Leaders:Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. GnassingbeEYADEMA (since 14 April 1967)
Political parties and leaders: only party—Rally of the TogolesePeople (RPT), President Eyadema
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: President—last held 21 December 1986 (next to be held December 1993); results—Gen. Eyadema was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held 4 March 1990 (next to be held March 1995); results—RPT is the only party; seats—(77 total) RPT 77
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, ENTENTE, FAO,G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ellom-Kodjo SCHUPPIUS; Chancery at 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4212 or 4213; US—Ambassador Rush W. TAYLOR, Jr.; Embassy at Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome (mailing address is B. P. 852, Lome); telephone [228] 21-29-91 through 94 and 21-36-09
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
- Economy Overview: Togo is one of the least developed countries in the world with a per capita GDP of about $400. The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 35% of GDP and provides employment for 80% of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together account for about 30% of total export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal. In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, with phosphate exports accounting for about 40% of total foreign exchange earnings.
GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $405; real growth rate 4.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1987)
Budget: revenues $354 million; expenditures $399 million, including capital expenditures of $102 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cotton, manufactures, palm kernels; partners—EC 70%, Africa 9%, US 2%, other 19% (1985)
Imports: $369 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—food, fuels, durable consumer goods, other intermediate goods, capital goods; partners—EC 69%, Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 4%, other 10% (1985)
External debt: $1.3 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 117,000 kW capacity; 155 million kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops—yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum, fish
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $121 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $46 million
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
- CommunicationsRailroads: 515 km 1.000-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 6,462 km total; 1,762 km paved; 4,700 km unimproved roads
Inland waterways: none
Ports: Lome, Kpeme (phosphate port)
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,809 GRT/72,289DWT; includes 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 9 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system based on network of open-wire lines supplemented by radio relay routes; 12,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 3 (2 relays) TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 767,949; 403,546 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (1987) —————————————————————————— Country: Tokelau (territory of New Zealand) - Geography Total area: 10 km2; land area: 10 km2
Comparative area: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 101 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain: coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Note: located 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South PacificOcean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
- PeoplePopulation: 1,700 (July 1990), growth rate 0.0% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Tokelauan(s); adjective—Tokelauan
Ethnic divisions: all Polynesian, with cultural ties to Western Samoa
Religion: 70% Congregational Christian Church, 30% Roman Catholic; onAtafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all RomanCatholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational ChristianChurch predominant
Language: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language) and English
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: territory of New Zealand
Capital: none, each atoll has its own administrative center
Administrative divisions: none (territory of New Zealand)
Independence: none (territory of New Zealand)
Constitution: administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970
Legal system: British and local statutes
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: administrator (appointed by the Minister of ForeignAffairs in New Zealand), official secretary
Legislative branch: Council of Elders (Taupulega) on each atoll
Judicial branch: High Court in Niue, Supreme Court in New Zealand
Leaders:Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator Neil WALTER; Official SecretaryM. NORRISH, Office of Tokelau Affairs
Suffrage: NA
Elections: NA
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of New Zealand)
Flag: the flag of New Zealand is used
- Economy Overview: Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.
GDP: $1.4 million, per capita $800; real growth rate NA% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $430,830; expenditures $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (FY87)
Exports: $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983); commodities—stamps, copra, handicrafts; partners—NZ
Imports: $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983); commodities—foodstuffs, building materials, fuel; partners—NZ
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 200 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 175 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Agriculture: coconuts, copra; basic subsistence crops—breadfruit, papaya, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $21 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- CommunicationsPorts: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western Samoa
Telecommunications: telephone service between islands and to Western Samoa
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand——————————————————————————Country: Tonga- GeographyTotal area: 748 km2; land area: 718 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no specific limits;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December toMay), cool season (May to December)
Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 55% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 2% other
Environment: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October to April); deforestation
Note: located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
- PeoplePopulation: 101,313 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Tongan(s); adjective—Tongan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents
Language: Tongan, English
Literacy: 90-95%; compulsory education for children ages 6 to 14
Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
Organized labor: none
- GovernmentLong-form name: Kingdom of Tonga
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Nukualofa
Administrative divisions: three island groups; Haapai, Tongatapu,Vavau
Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly Friendly Islands)
Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Legal system: based on English law
National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister,Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State—King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE (since 16 December 1965)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
Elections: Legislative Assembly—last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, FAO, ESCAP, GATT (de facto),IFAD, ITU, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'UlupekotofaTUITA resides in London;US—the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accreditedto Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
- Economy Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade deficit.
GDP: $86 million, per capita $850; real growth rate 3.6%(FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (FY87)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $54.8 million; expenditures $56.2 million, including capital expenditures of $16.9 million (FY88 est.)
Exports: $9.1 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.); commodities—coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish; partners—NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
Imports: $60.1 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.); commodities—food products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, building materials; partners—NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
External debt: $31.8 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 15% (FY86)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, fishing
Agriculture: dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $220 million
Currency: pa'anga (plural—pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1—1.23 (FY89 est.), 1.37 (FY88), 1.51 (FY87), 1.43 (FY86), 1.30 (FY85)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km unsealed roads usable only in dry weather
Ports: Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 37,249 GRT/50,116DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 3,529 telephones; 66,000 radio receivers; no TV sets; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: Land Force, Maritime Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA——————————————————————————Country: Trinidad and Tobago- GeographyTotal area: 5,130 km2; land area: 5,130 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, asphalt
Land use: 14% arable land; 17% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 44% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes 4% irrigated
Environment: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Note: located 11 km from Venezuela
- PeoplePopulation: 1,344,639 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 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: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective—Trinidadian,Tobagonian
Ethnic divisions: 43% black, 40% East Indian, 14% mixed, 1% white, 1%Chinese, 1% other
Religion: 36.2% Roman Catholic, 23.0% Hindu, 13.1% Protestant, 6.0%Muslim, 21.7% unknown
Language: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 463,900; 18.1% construction and utilities; 14.8% manufacturing, mining, and quarrying; 10.9% agriculture; 56.2% other (1985 est.)
Organized labor: 22% of labor force (1988)
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**;Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David,Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 31 August 1976
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house orSenate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Leaders:Chief of State—President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 18 December 1986)
Political parties and leaders: National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR),A. N. R. Robinson; People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick Manning;United National Congress, Basdeo Panday; Movement for SocialTransformation (MOTION), David Abdullah
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives—last held 15 December 1986 (next to be held by December 1991); results—NAR 66%, PNM 32%, others 2%; seats—(36 total) NAR 33, PNM 3
Communists: Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad andTobago Peace Council, James Millette
Other political pressure groups: National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), radical antigovernment black-identity organization; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council, leftist organization affiliated with the World Peace Council; Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Trinidad and Tobago Labor Congress, moderate labor federation; Council of Progressive Trade Unions, radical labor federation
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT,IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American DevelopmentBank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC—InternationalWheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Angus Albert KHAN; Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 467-6490; Trinidad and Tobago has a Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador Charles A. GARGANO; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain); telephone [809] 622-6372 or 6376, 6176
Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
- Economy Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy has been in decline since 1982. During the first half of the 1980s, the petroleum sector accounted for nearly 80% of export earnings, 40% of government revenues, and almost 25% of GDP. In recent years, however, the economy has suffered because of the sharp fall in the price of oil. The government, in response to the revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures that pushed the unemployment rate to 22% in 1988. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces less than 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its export base.
GDP: $3.75 billion, per capita $3,070; real growth rate - 2.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.0% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1988)
Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $430 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—includes reexports—petroleum and petroleum products 70%, fertilizer, chemicals 15%, steel products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1987); partners—US 61%, EC 15%, CARICOM 9%, Latin America 7%, Canada 3% (1986)
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—raw materials 41%, capital goods 30%, consumer goods 29% (1986); partners—US 42%, EC 21%, Japan 10%, Canada 6%, Latin America 6%, CARICOM 4% (1986)
External debt: $2.02 billion (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.2%, excluding oil refining (1986)
Electricity: 1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,350 million kWh produced, 2,700 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Agriculture: accounts for about 3% of GDP and 4% of labor force; highly subsidized sector; major crops—cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; must import large share of food needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $370 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $437 million
Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1—4.2500 (January 1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988), 3.6000 (1987), 3.6000 (1986), 2.4500 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- CommunicationsRailroads: minimal agricultural system near San Fernando
Highways: 8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved earth
Pipelines: 1,032 km crude oil; 19 km refined products; 904 km natural gas
Ports: Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesBranches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force, Trinidad and Tobago PoliceService
Military manpower: males 15-49, 343,292; 248,674 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or $59 million (1989 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Tromelin Island(French possession)- GeographyTotal area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2
Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3.7 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles
Climate: tropical
Terrain: sandy
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other—scattered bushes
Environment: wildlife sanctuary
Note: located 350 km east of Madagascar and 600 km north of Reunion in the Indian Ocean; climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones
- PeoplePopulation: uninhabited
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the RepublicDaniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
- EconomyOverview: no economic activity
- CommunicationsAirports: 1 with runway less than 1,220 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: important meteorological station
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the responsibility of France——————————————————————————Country: Tunisia- GeographyTotal area: 163,610 km2; land area: 155,360 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: 20% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 47% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east
- PeoplePopulation: 8,095,492 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 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: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Tunisian(s); adjective—Tunisian
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% European, less than 1% Jewish
Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less than 1% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)
Literacy: 62% (est.)
Labor force: 2,250,000; 32% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor: about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Tunisia; note—may be changed to TunisianRepublic
Type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Administrative divisions: 23 governorates (wilayat,singular—wilayah); Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn,Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin Arus, Jundubah,Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis,Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis,Zaghwan
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution: 1 June 1959
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State—President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party(RCD), President Ben Ali (official ruling party); Movement of DemocraticSocialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political parties are legal,including the Communist Party
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President—last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, others 2.4% seats—(141 total) RCD 141
Communists: a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students
Member of: AfDB, Arab League, AIOEC, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC—International WheatCouncil, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdelaziz HAMZAOUI; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850; US—Ambassador Robert H. PELLETREAU, Jr.; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone [216] (1) 782-566
Flag: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
- Economy Overview: The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for continued growth. Two successive drought-induced crop failures have strained the government's budget and increased unemployment. The current account fell from a $23 million surplus in 1988 to a $390 million deficit in 1989. Despite its foreign payments problems, Tunis appears committed to its IMF-supported structural adjustment program. Nonetheless, the government may have to slow its implementation to head off labor unrest. The increasing foreign debt—$7.6 billion at yearend 1989—is also a key problem. Tunis probably will seek debt relief in 1990.
GDP: $8.7 billion, per capita $1,105; real growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
Budget: revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.8 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals; partners—EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR
Imports: $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods; partners—EC 68%, US 7%, Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria
External debt: $7.6 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1988)
Electricity: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops—olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products—grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200 metric tons (1986)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $694 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $410 million
Currency: Tunisian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1—0.9055 (January 1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth
Pipelines: 797 km crude oil; 86 km refined products; 742 km natural gas
Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
Airports: 30 total, 28 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and radio relay; key centers are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; stations—18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable to Algeria; radio relay to Algeria, Libya, and Italy
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,997,197; 1,149,141 fit for military service; 88,368 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.7% of GDP, or $235 million (1989 est.)——————————————————————————Country: Turkey- GeographyTotal area: 780,580 km2; land area: 770,760 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries: 2,715 km total; Bulgaria 240 km, Greece 206 km,Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km, USSR 617 km
Coastline: 7,200 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: in Black Sea only—to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the USSR;
Territorial sea: 6 nm (12 nm in Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Hatay question with Syria; ongoing dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau(Anatolia)
Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur, iron ore
Land use: 30% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 28% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe earthquakes, especially along major river valleys in west; air pollution; desertification
Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish straits (Bosporus,Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Turkey andNorway only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR
- PeoplePopulation: 56,704,327 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 74 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Turk(s); adjective—Turkish
Ethnic divisions: 85% Turkish, 12% Kurd, 3% other
Religion: 98% Muslim (mostly Sunni), 2% other (mostly Christian andJewish)
Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
Literacy: 70%
Labor force: 18,800,000; 56% agriculture, 30% services, 14% industry; about 1,000,000 Turks work abroad (1987)
Organized labor: 10-15% of labor force
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Turkey
Type: republican parliamentary democracy
Capital: Ankara
Administrative divisions: 67 provinces (iller, singular—il); Adana,Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir,Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum,Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta,Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirklareli,Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus,Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas,Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Urfa, Usak, Van, Yozgat,Zonguldak; note—there may be four new provinces named Aksaray, Bayburt,Karaman, and Kirikkale
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Constitution: 7 November 1982
Legal system: derived from various continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)
Executive branch: president, Presidential Council, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly (Buyuk MilletMeclisi)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Leaders:Chief of State—President Turgut OZAL (since 9 November 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Yildirim AKBULUT (since 9 November 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Ali BOZER (since 31 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Motherland Party (ANAP), YildirimAkbulut; Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Erdal Inonu; Correct WayParty (CWP), Suleyman Demirel; Democratic Left Party (DLP), BulentEcevit; Prosperity Party (RP), Necmettin Erbakan; National Work Party (MCP),Alpaslan Turkes; Reform Democratic Party (IDP), Aykut Edibali
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Grand National Assembly—last held 29 November 1987 (next to be held November 1992); results—ANAP 36%, SHP 25%, CWP 19%, others 20%; seats—(450 total) ANAP 283, SHP 81, CWP 56, independents 26, vacant 4
Communists: strength and support negligible
Member of: ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, EC (associate member),ECOSOC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank,IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU,NATO, OECD, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR; Chancery at 1606 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-3200; there are Turkish Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US—Ambassador Morton ABRAMOWITZ; Embassy at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara (mailing address is APO New York 09254—0001); telephone [90] (4) 126 54 70; there are US Consulates General in Istanbul and Izmir, and a Consulate in Adana
Flag: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered on the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The economic reforms that Turkey launched in 1980 continue to bring an impressive stream of benefits. The economy has grown steadily since the early 1980s, with real growth in per capita GDP increasing more than 6% annually. Agriculture remains the most important economic sector, employing about 60% of the labor force, accounting for almost 20% of GDP, and contributing about 25% to exports. Impressive growth in recent years has not solved all of the economic problems facing Turkey. Inflation and interest rates remain high, and a large budget deficit will continue to provide difficulties for a country undergoing a substantial transformation from a centrally controlled to a free market economy. The government has launched a multimillion-dollar development program in the southeastern region, which includes the building of a dozen dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to generate electric power and irrigate large tracts of farmland. The planned tapping of huge quantities of Euphrates water has raised serious concern in the downstream riparian nations of Syria and Iraq.
GDP: $75 billion, per capita $1,350; real growth rate 1.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 68.8% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.8% (1988)