Budget: revenues $12.1 billion; expenditures $14.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.08 billion (FY88 est.)
Exports: $11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—industrial products 70%, crops and livestock products 25%; partners—FRG 18.4%, Iraq 8.5%, Italy 8.2%, US 6.5%, UK 4.9%, Iran 4.7%
Imports: $14.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, rubber, mineral fuels, fertilizers, chemicals; partners—FRG 14.3%, US 10.6%, Iraq 10.0%, Italy 7.0%, France 5.8%, UK 5.2%
External debt: $36.3 billion (November 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.4% (1988)
Electricity: 14,064,000 kW capacity; 40,000 million kWh produced, 720 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron minerals), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and employs majority of population; products—tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety of animal products; self-sufficient in food most years
Illicit drugs: one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $2.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4.5 billion
Currency: Turkish lira (plural—liras); 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1—2,314.7 (November 1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- CommunicationsRailroads: 8,401 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 479 km electrified
Highways: 49,615 km total; 26,915 km bituminous; 16,500 km gravel or crushed stone; 4,000 km improved earth; 2,200 km unimproved earth (1985)
Inland waterways: about 1,200 km
Pipelines: 1,738 km crude oil; 2,321 km refined products; 708 km natural gas
Ports: Iskenderun, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir
Merchant marine: 327 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,972,465 GRT/5,087,620 DWT; includes 6 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 193 cargo, 1 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 35 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 4 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 55 bulk, 4 combination bulk, 1 specialized liquid cargo
Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft (1985)
Airports: 119 total, 112 usable; 69 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 28 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair domestic and international systems; trunk radio relay network; 3,100,000 telephones; stations—15 AM; 45 (60 repeaters) FM; 61 (476 repeaters) TV; communications satellite earth stations operating in the INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems; 1 submarine telephone cable
- Defense ForcesBranches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,413,944; 8,813,430 fit for military service; 597,547 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.9% of GDP, or $2.9 billion (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Turks and Caicos Islands (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 430 km2; land area: 430 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 389 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 98% other
Environment: 30 islands (eight inhabited); subject to frequent hurricanes
Note: located 190 km north of the Dominican Republic in the NorthAtlantic Ocean
- PeoplePopulation: 9,761 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: no noun or adjectival forms
Ethnic divisions: majority of African descent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Church of God,Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 99% (est.)
Labor force: NA; majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture
Organized labor: St. George's Industrial Trade Union
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, and aConstitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents
Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Michael J. BRADLEY (since 1987);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Oswald O. SKIPPINGS (since 3 March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement (PDM),Oswald Skippings; Progressive National Party (PNP), Dan Malcolm andNorman Saunders; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel Missick
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council—last held on 3 March 1988 (next to be held NA); results—PDM 60%, PNP 30%, others 10%; seats—(20 total, 13 elected) PDM 11, PNP 2
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, theinterests of the Turks and Caicos Islands are represented in the US bythe UK;US—none
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Subsistence farming—corn and beans—exists only on the Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be imported.
GDP: $44.9 million, per capita $5,000; real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1989)
Budget: revenues $12.4 million; expenditures $15.8 million, including capital expenditures of $2.6 million (FY87)
Exports: $2.9 million (f.o.b., FY84); commodities—lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells; partners—US, UK
Imports: $26.3 million (c.i.f., FY84); commodities—foodstuffs, drink, tobacco, clothing; partners—US, UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,050 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
Agriculture: subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more important than farming; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92.8 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: calendar year
- CommunicationsHighways: 121 km, including 24 km tarmac
Ports: Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, Cockburn Harbour
Civil air: Air Turks and Caicos (passenger service) and Turks Air Ltd. (cargo service)
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair cable and radio services; 1,446 telephones; stations—3 AM, no FM, several TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense ForcesNote: defense is the responsibility of the UK——————————————————————————Country: Tuvalu- GeographyTotal area: 26 km2; land area: 26 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March toNovember); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: severe tropical storms are rare
Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
- PeoplePopulation: 9,136 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 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: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Tuvaluans(s); adjective—Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian
Religion: Christian, predominantly Protestant
Language: Tuvaluan, English
Literacy: less than 50%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
- GovernmentLong-form name: none
Type: democracy
Capital: Funafuti
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament—last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(12 total)
Member of: ACP, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), SPF, SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); US—none
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
- Economy Overview: Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor-quality soil. The country has a small economy, no known mineral resources, and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
GNP: $4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.59 million; expenditures $3.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1983 est.)
Exports: $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.); commodities—copra; partners—Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports: $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.); commodities—food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods; partners—Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA
Electricity: 2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture: coconuts, copra
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $84 million
Currency: Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Fiscal year: NA
- CommunicationsHighways: 8 km gravel
Ports: Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043GRT/450 DWT
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radio receivers; 108 telephones
- Defense ForcesBranches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA——————————————————————————Country: Uganda- GeographyTotal area: 236,040 km2; land area: 199,710 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,698 km total; Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use: 23% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 30% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: straddles Equator; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note: landlocked
- PeoplePopulation: 17,960,262 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Ugandan(s); adjective—Ugandan
Ethnic divisions: 99% African, 1% European, Asian, Arab
Religion: 33% Roman Catholic, 33% Protestant, 16% Muslim, rest indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Luganda and Swahili widely used; other Bantu and Nilotic languages
Literacy: 57.3%
Labor force: 4,500,000 (est.); 94% subsistence activities, 6% wage earners (est.); 50% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 125,000 union members
- GovernmentLong-form name: Republic of Uganda
Type: republic
Capital: Kampala
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Busoga, Central, Eastern,Karamoja, Nile, North Buganda, Northern, South Buganda, Southern, Western
Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 8 September 1967, suspended following coup of 27 July 1985; in process of constitutional revision
Legal system: government plans to restore system based on English common law and customary law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers,Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Resistance Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State—President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 29 January 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since 30 January 1986); First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya KATEGAYA (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: only party—National ResistanceMovement (NRM); note—the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), UgandanPeople's Congress (UPC), Democratic Party (DP), and Conservative Party(CP) are all proscribed from conducting public political activities
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Resistance Council—last held 11-28 February 1989 (next to be held after January 1995); results—NRM is the only party; seats—(278 total, 210 indirectly elected) NRM 210
Other political parties or pressure groups: Uganda People's DemocraticMovement (UPDM), Uganda People's Front (UPF), Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM),Holy Spirit Movement (HSM)
Communists: possibly a few sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI; 5909 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-7100 through 7102; US—Ambassador John A. BURROUGHS, Jr.; Embassy at British High Commission Building, Obote Avenue, Kampala (mailing address is P. O. Box 7007, Kampala); telephone [256] (41) 259791
Flag: six equal horizonal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side
- Economy Overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. For most of the past 15 years the economy has been devastated by political instability, mismanagement, and civil war, keeping Uganda poor with a per capita income of about $300. (GDP remains below the levels of the early 1970s, as does industrial production.) Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounted for 97% of export revenues in 1988. Since 1986 the government has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing petroleum prices, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation, which was running at over 300% in 1987, and boosting production and export earnings.
GDP: $4.9 billion, per capita $300 (1988); real growth rate 6.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 72% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $365 million; expenditures $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $272 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—coffee 97%, cotton, tea; partners—US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
Imports: $626 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation equipment, food; partners—Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt: $1.4 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 25.1% (1988)
Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 312 million kWh produced, 18 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Agriculture: accounts for 57% of GDP and 83% of labor force; cash crops—coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops—cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products—beef, goat meat, milk, poultry; self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-88), $123 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $140 million
Currency: Ugandan shilling (plural—shillings); 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1—370 (December 1989), 223.09 (1989), 106.14 (1988), 42.84 (1987), 14.00 (1986), 6.72 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- CommunicationsRailroads: 1,300 km, 1.000-meter-gauge single track
Highways: 26,200 km total; 1,970 km paved; 5,849 km crushed stone, gravel, and laterite; remainder earth roads and tracks
Inland waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George,Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; principal inland water ports are atJinja and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
Merchant marine: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,697 GRT
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 39 total, 30 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with radio relay and radio communications stations; 61,600 telephones; stations—10 AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense ForcesBranches: National Resistance Army (NRA)
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 3,836,921; about 2,084,813 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (1985)——————————————————————————Country: United Arab Emirates- GeographyTotal area: 83,600 km2; land area: 83,600 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries: 1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km,Qatar 20 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: boundary with Qatar is in dispute; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims three islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb)
Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 98% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification
Note: strategic location along southern approaches toStrait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
- PeoplePopulation: 2,253,624 (July 1990), growth rate 6.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 33 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Emirian(s), adjective—Emirian
Ethnic divisions: 19% Emirian, 23% other Arab, 50% South Asian (fluctuating), 8% other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians); less than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982)
Religion: 96% Muslim (16% Shia); 4% Christian, Hindu, and other
Language: Arabic (official); Farsi and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: 68%
Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); 85% industry and commerce, 5% agriculture, 5% services, 5% government; 80% of labor force is foreign
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
- GovernmentLong-form name: United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE
Type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member shaykhdoms
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular—imarah);Abu Zaby, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy,Ras al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)
Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional)
Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential
National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN of Abu Dhabi (since 2 December 1971); Vice President Shaykh Rashid bin Said Al MAKTUM of Dubayy (since 2 December 1971;
Head of Government—Prime Minister Shaykh Rashid bin Said Al MAKTUM of Dubayy (Prime Minister since 30 April 1979); Deputy Prime Minister Maktum bin Rashid al MAKTUM (since 2 December 1971)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: NA
Other political or pressure groups: a few small clandestine groups are active
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdullah bin ZayedAL-NAHAYYAN; Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-6500;US—Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.; Embassy at Al-Sudan Street,Abu Dhabi (mailing address is P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi); telephone [971] (2)336691; there is a US Consulate General in Dubai
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's higher levels of income per capita. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, when petroleum prices shot up, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years.
GNP: $23.3 billion, per capita $11,680; real growth rate - 2.1% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5-6% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NEGL (1988)
Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $10.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—crude oil 75%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates; partners—US, EC, Japan
Imports: $8.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—food, consumer and capital goods; partners—EC, Japan, US
External debt: $11.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 9.3% (1986)
Electricity: 5,590,000 kW capacity; 15,000 million kWh produced, 7,090 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture: accounts for 1% of GNP and 5% of labor force; cash crop—dates; food products—vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food
Aid: donor—pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
Currency: Emirian dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1—3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Pipelines: 830 km crude oil; 870 km natural gas, including natural gas liquids
Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali,Mina Khalid, Mina Rashid, Mina Saqr,Mina Zayid
Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 728,332 GRT/1,181,566 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 7 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 bulk
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 40 total, 34 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; stations—8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia
- Defense ForcesBranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Military Command, FederalPolice Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 904,690; 498,082 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $1.59 billion (1987) —————————————————————————— Country: United Kingdom - Geography Total area: 244,820 km2; land area: 241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundary: Ireland 360 km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Ireland; Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory)
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Natural resources: coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica
Land use: 29% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 48% meadows and pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 14% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: pollution control measures improving air, water quality; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km fromFrance
- PeoplePopulation: 57,365,665 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective—British
Ethnic divisions: 81.5% English, 9.6% Scottish, 2.4% Irish, 1.9% Welsh, 1.8% Ulster, 2.8% West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other
Religion: 27.0 million Anglican, 5.3 million Roman Catholic, 2.0 millionPresbyterian, 760,000 Methodist, 410,000 Jewish
Language: English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 28,120,000; 53.3% services, 23.6% manufacturing and construction, 10.8% self-employed, 6.8% government, 1.0% agriculture (1988)
Organized labor: 37% of labor force (1987)
- Government Long-form name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; abbreviated UK
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: London
Administrative divisions: 47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3 islands areas
England—39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire,Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby, Devon,Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater London*, GreaterManchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle ofWight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton,Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset, SouthYorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West Midlands*,West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire
Northern Ireland—26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena,Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine,Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn,Londonderry, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down,Omagh, Strabane
Scotland—9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries andGalloway, Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde,Tayside, Western Isles*
Wales—8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys,South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
Independence: 1 January 1801, United Kingdom established
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,Guernsey, Hong Kong (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Regionof China in 1997), Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands,St. Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks andCaicos Islands
Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (secondSaturday in June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house orHouse of Lords and a lower house or House of Commons
Judicial branch: House of Lords
Leaders:Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Margaret THATCHER (since 4 May 1979);Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey HOWE (since 24 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Conservative, Margaret Thatcher; Labour,Neil Kinnock; Social Democratic, David Owen (disbanded 3 June 1990);Social and Liberal Democratic Party, Jeremy (Paddy) Ashdown; Communist,Nina Temple; Scottish National, Gordon Wilson; Plaid Cymru, Dafydd Thomas;Ulster Unionist, James Molyneaux; Democratic Unionist, Ian Paisley; SocialDemocratic and Labour, John Hume; Provisional Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams;Alliance/Northern Ireland
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:House of Commons—last held 11 June 1987 (next to be heldby June 1992);results—Conservative 43%, Labour 32%, Social and Liberal DemocraticParty 23%, others 2%;seats—(650 total) Conservative 376, Labour 228, Social and LiberalDemocratic Party 18, Ulster (Official) Unionist (Northern Ireland) 9,Social Democratic Party 4, Scottish National Party 4, Plaid Cymru(Welsh Nationalist) 3, Ulster Democratic Unionist (Northern Ireland) 3,Social Democratic and Labour (Northern Ireland) 3,Ulster Popular Unionist (Northern Ireland) 1,Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) 1
Communists: 15,961
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, National Farmers' Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, Council of Europe, DAC, EC,ESCAP, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG,IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU,IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International WheatCouncil, NATO, OECD, UN, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir Antony ACLAND; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340; there are British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas, Miami, and Seattle; US—Ambassador Henry E. CATTO; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE, (mailing address is Box 40, FPO New York 09509); telephone [44] (01) 499-9000; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and Edinburgh
Flag: blue with the red cross of St. George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of St. Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others
- Economy Overview: The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic with a generous admixture of social welfare programs and government ownership. Over the last decade the Thatcher government has halted the expansion of welfare measures and has promoted extensive reprivatization of the government economic sector. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. Industry is a mixture of public and private enterprises, employing about 24% of the work force and generating 22% of GDP. The UK is an energy-rich nation with large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Following the recession of 1979-81, the economy has enjoyed the longest period of continuous economic growth it has had during the last 30 years. During the period 1982-89 real GDP grew by about 25%, while the inflation rate of 14% was nearly halved. Between 1986 and 1989 unemployment fell from 11% to about 6%. As a major trading nation, the UK will continue to be greatly affected by: world boom or recession; swings in the international oil market; productivity trends in domestic industry; and the terms on which the economic integration of Europe proceeds.
GDP: $818.0 billion, per capita $14,300; real growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 6.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $348.7 billion; expenditures $327.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $42.0 billion (FY89)
Exports: $151.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment; partners—EC 50.4% (FRG 11.7%, France 10.2%, Netherlands 6.8%), US 13.0%, Communist countries 2.3%
Imports: $189.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods; partners—EC 52.5% (FRG 16.6%, France 8.8%, Netherlands 7.8%), US 10.2%, Communist countries 2.1%
External debt: $15.7 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.9% (1989)
Electricity: 98,000,000 kW capacity; 361,990 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery and transportation equipment, metals, food processing, paper and paper products, textiles, chemicals, clothing, other consumer goods, motor vehicles, aircraft, shipbuilding, petroleum, coal
Agriculture: accounts for only 1.5% of GNP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized and efficient farms; wide variety of crops and livestock products produced; about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons (1987)
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $18.9 billion
Currency: British pound or pound sterling (plural—pounds); 1 British pound (L) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$1—0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989) 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: Great Britain—16,629 km total; British Railways (BR) operates 16,629 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (4,205 km electrified and 12,591 km double or multiple track); several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 332 km 1.600-meter gauge, 190 km double track
Highways: UK, 362,982 km total; Great Britain, 339,483 km paved (including 2,573 km limited-access divided highway); Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907 paved, 592 km gravel)
Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km;Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km
Pipelines: 933 km crude oil, almost all insignificant; 2,993 km refined products; 12,800 km natural gas
Ports: London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool,Dover, Sullom Voe, Southampton
Merchant marine: 285 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,174,142GRT/9,024,090 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 44 cargo, 44 container, 21 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 78 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 2 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 45 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 618 major transport aircraft
Airports: 522 total, 379 usable; 245 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 37 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 132 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern, efficient domestic and international system; 30,200,000 telephones; excellent countrywide broadcast systems; stations—223 AM, 165 (396 relays) FM, 205 (3,210 relays) TV; 38 coaxial submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and EUTELSAT systems
- Defense ForcesBranches: Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Army, Royal Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,462,993; 12,180,580 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 4.3% of GDP, or $35 billion (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: United States - Geography Total area: 9,372,610 km2; land area: 9,166,600 km2; includes only the 50 states and District of Colombia
Comparative area: about four-tenths the size of USSR; about one-third the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe
Land boundaries: 12,248.1 km total; Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US naval base at Guantanamo) 29.1 km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: not specified;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada; US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation
Climate: mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic(Alaska); arid to semiarid in west with occasional warm, dry chinook wind
Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber
Land use: 20% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures; 29% forest and woodland; 25% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and China)
- PeoplePopulation: 250,410,000 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—American(s); adjective—American
Ethnic divisions: 85% white, 12% black, 3% other (1985)
Religion: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%,Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 13%), Roman Catholic 25%,Jewish 2%, other 5%; none 7%
Language: predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 125,557,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor force 123,869,000 (1989)
Organized labor: 16,960,000 members; 16.4% of labor force (1989)
- GovernmentLong-form name: United States of America; abbreviated US or USA
Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska,Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,Oregon, Pennyslvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island; Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island. Since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with three of the four political units. The Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth associated with the US (effective 3 November 1986). Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986). The Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986).
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house orSenate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Lee Atwater, national committee chairman and Jeanie Austin, co-chairman; Democratic Party, Ronald H. Brown, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—George Bush (Republican Party) 53.37%, Michael Dukakis (Democratic Party) 45.67%, others 0.96%;
Senate—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 6 November 1990); results—Democratic Party 52.1%, Republican Party 46.2%, others 1.7%; seats—(100 total) Democratic Party 55, Republican Party 45;
House of Representatives—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 6 November 1990); results—Democratic Party 53.2%, Republican Party 45.3%, others 1.5%; seats—(435 total) Democratic Party 259, Republican Party 174, vacant 2
Communists: Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus Hall, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members), Jack Barnes, national secretary
Member of: ADB, ANZUS, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, FAO, ESCAP, GATT,IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICEM, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission,IWC—International Wheat Council, NATO, OAS, OECD, PAHO, SPC, UN, UPU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: US Representative to the UN,Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza,New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444
Flag: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
- Economy Overview: The US has the most powerful and diversified economy in the world, with a per capita GNP of over $21,000, the largest among the major industrial nations. In 1989 the economy entered its eighth successive year of growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion has featured continued moderation in wage and consumer price increases, an unemployment rate of 5.2%, (the lowest in 10 years), and an inflation rate of 4.8%. On the negative side, the US enters the 1990s with massive budget and trade deficits, huge and rapidly rising medical costs, and inadequate investment in industrial capacity and economic infrastructure.
GNP: $5,233.3 billion, per capita $21,082; real growth rate 2.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1989)
Budget: revenues $976 billion; expenditures $1,137 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89 est.)
Exports: $322.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products; partners—Canada 22.9%, Japan 11.8% (1988)
Imports: $440.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages; partners—Japan 19.6% , Canada 19.1% (1988)
External debt: $532 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.3% (1989)
Electricity: 776,550,000 kW capacity; 2,958,300 million kWh produced, 11,920 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, mining
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GNP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second-largest producer and number-one exporter of grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 5.7 million metric tons (1987)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production
Aid: donor—commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-88), $90.5 billion
Currency: United States dollar (plural—dollars); 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$—0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985);
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$—1.1885 (February 1990), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986);
French francs (F) per US$—5.695 (February 1990), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$—1,244.8 (February 1990), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985);
Japanese yen (Y) per US$—145.55 (February 1990), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985);
FRG deutsche marks (DM) per US$—1.6775 (February 1990), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- CommunicationsRailroads: 270,312 km
Highways: 6,365,590 km, including 88,641 km expressways
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)
Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Cleveland,Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville,Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia,Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle,Tampa, Wilmington
Merchant marine: 373 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling NA GRT/NA DWT); includes 2 passenger-cargo, 37 cargo, 22 bulk, 165 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 10 liquefied gas, 124 intermodal; in addition there are 248 government-owned vessels
Civil air: 3,297 commercial multiengine transport aircraft, including 2,989 jet, 231 turboprop, 77 piston (1985)
Airports: 15,422 in operation (1981)
Telecommunications: 182,558,000 telephones; stations—4,892 AM, 5,200 FM (including 3,915 commercial and 1,285 public broadcasting), 7,296 TV (including 796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting, and 6,200 commercial cable); 495,000,000 radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV sets (1982); satellite earth stations—45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT