_#_Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GNP and 15% of the labor force; principal crops—turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock—meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million
_#_Currency: Irish pound (plural—pounds); 1 Irish pound (5Ir) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Irish pounds (5Ir) per US$1—0.5656 (January 1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified
_#_Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone
_#_Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic
_#_Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km
_#_Ports: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford
_#_Merchant marine: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 138,967 GRT/164,628 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 31 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 bulk
_#_Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations—45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (GARDA)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 871,578; 705,642 fit for military service; 33,175 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $458 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 est.)%@Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)#_Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.
_*Geography#_Total area: 20,770 km2; land area: 20,330 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 1,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km
_#_Coastline: 273 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
_#_Climate: temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
_#_Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
_#_Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 6%; other 32%; includes irrigated 11%
_#_Environment: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation
_#_Note: there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 38 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
_*People#_Population: 4,477,105 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991); includes 90,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 13,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 120,000 in East Jerusalem (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Israeli(s); adjective—Israeli
_#_Ethnic divisions: Jewish 83%, non-Jewish (mostly Arab) 17%
_#_Religion: Judaism 82%, Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim) 14%, Christian 2%, Druze and other 2%
_#_Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority; English most commonly used foreign language
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 95%, female 89%) age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
_#_Labor force: 1,400,000 (1984 est.); public services 29.3%; industry, mining, and manufacturing 22.8%; commerce 12.8%; finance and business 9.5%; transport, storage, and communications 6.8%; construction and public works 6.5%; personal and other services 5.8%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.5%; electricity and water 1.0% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 90% of labor force
_*Government#_Long-form name: State of Israel
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular—mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
_#_Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
_#_Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
_#_Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Knesset)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising eleven parties that hold 66 of the Knesset's 120 seats;
Members of the government—Likud bloc, Prime Minister YitzhakSHAMIR;Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Interior Arieh DER'I;National Religious Party, Minister of Education Zevulun HAMMER;Agudat Yisrael, Moshe Zeev FELDMAN;Degel HaTorah, Avraham RAVITZ;Moriya, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Yitzhak PERETZ;Ge'vlat Yisrael, Elizer MIZRAHI;Party for the Advancement of Zionist Ideology (PAZI), Minister ofFinance Yitzhak MODAI;Tehiya Party, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, and InfrastructureYuval NE'EMAN;Tzomet Party, Minister of Agriculture Rafael EITAN;Unity for Peace and Aliyah, Efrayim GUR;Moledet Party, Rehavam ZE'EVI;
Opposition parties—Labor Party, Shimon PERES;Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit ALONI;United Workers' Party (MAPAM), Yair TZABAN;Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon RUBENSTEIN;New Israeli Communist Party (MAKI), Meir WILNER;Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad MI'ARI;Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab DARAWSHAH;Black Panthers, Charlie BITON
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results—Chaim HERZOG reelected by Knesset;
Knesset—last held 1 November 1988 (next to be held byNovember 1992);seats—(120 total) Labor Party 38, Likud bloc 37, SHAS 5, NationalReligious Party 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, Agudat Yisrael 4,PAZI 3, MAKI 3, Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2,Degel HaTorah 2, Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1,Arab Democratic Party 1; Black Panthers 1, Moriya 1, Ge'ulatYisrael 1, Unity for Peace and Aliyah 1
_#_Communists: Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership) has some 1,500 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, EBRD, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500; there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
_#_Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
_*Economy#_Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed its agricultural and industrial sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20 years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 5%, and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally been negative, but is offset by large transfer payments and foreign loans. About half of Israel's $18 billion external government debt is owed to the US, which is its major source for economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical scanning equipment. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August dealt a blow to Israel's economy in 1990. Higher world oil prices added an estimated $300 million to Israel's 1990 oil import bill, and helped keep the inflation rate at 18% for the year. Regional tensions and continuing acts of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah)-related violence contributed to a sharp dropoff in tourism—a key source of foreign exchange—to the lowest level since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. In 1991, the influx of up to 400,000 Soviet immigrants will increase unemployment, intensify the country's housing crisis, and contribute to a widening budget deficit.
_#_GNP: $46.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.8% (March 1991)
_#_Budget: revenues $28.7 billion; expenditures $33.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91)
_#_Exports: $10.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics;
partners—US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
_#_Imports: $14.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft;
partners—US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg
_#_External debt: $24.5 billion, of which government debt is $18 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989); accounts for about 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for bread grains; principal products—citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products—beef, dairy, and poultry
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.5 billion
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.35 (May 1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March; changing to calender year basis starting January 1992
_*Communications#_Railroads: 594 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
_#_Highways: 4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 708 km; refined products, 290 km; natural gas, 89 km
_#_Ports: Ashdod, Haifa, Elat
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 516,714 GRT/611,795 DWT; includes 7 cargo, 21 container, 2 refrigerated cargo; note—Israel also maintains a significant flag of convenience fleet, which is normally at least as large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli flag of convenience fleet typically includes all of its POL tankers
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 51 total, 44 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; stations—11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Israel Defense Forces includes ground, naval, and air components; historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 2,213,808; of the 1,117,733 males 15-49, 920,449 are fit for military service; of the 1,096,075 females 15-49, 899,022 are fit for military service; 44,429 males and 42,249 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service; Nahal or Pioneer Fighting Youth, Frontier Guard, Chen
_#Defense expenditures: $5.3 billion, 13.9% of GNP (1991); note—includes an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid%@Italy*Geography#_Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Austria 430 km, France 488 km, San Marino 39 km, Switzerland 740 km, Vatican City 3.2 km, Yugoslavia 202 km
_#_Coastline: 4,996 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
_#_Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
_#_Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 17%; forest and woodland 22%; other 19%; includes irrigated 10%
_#_Environment: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snowslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice
_#_Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
_*People#_Population: 57,772,375 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 82 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Italian(s); adjective—Italian
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
_#_Religion: nominally Roman Catholic almost 100%
_#_Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 23,988,000; services 58%, industry 32.2%, agriculture 9.8% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 40-45% of labor force (est.)
_*Government#_Long-form name: Italian Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Rome
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular—regione);Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-VeneziaGiulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia,Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta,Veneto
_#_Independence: 17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1948
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister (president of the Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber or Senate of the Republic (Senato della Repubblica) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francesco COSSIGA (since 3 July 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since 22 July 1989, heads the government for the seventh time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio MARTELLI (since 23 July 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo FORLANI (general secretary),Ciriaco De MITA (president);Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino CRAXI (party secretary);Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Antonio CARIGLIA (party secretary);Liberal Party (PLI), Renato ALTISSIMO (secretary general);Democratic Party of the Left (PDS—was Communist Party, or PCI, untilJanuary 1991), Achille OCCHETTO (secretary general);Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giuseppe (Pino) RAUTI (nationalsecretary);Republican Party (PRI), Giorgio La MALFA (political secretary);Lega Nord, Umberto BOSSI, president;Italy's 50th postwar government was formed on 13 April 1991,with Prime Minister ANDREOTTI, a Christian Democrat, presiding over afour-party coalition consisting of the Christian Democrats, Socialists,Social Democrats, and Liberals
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 33.9%, PCI 28.3%, PSI 10.7%, other 27.1%; seats—(320 total, 315 elected) DC 125, PCI 100, PSI 36, other 54;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 34.3%, PCI 26.6%, PSI 14.3%, MSI 5.9%, PRI 3.7%, PSDI 3.0%, Radicals 2.6%, Greens 2.5%, PLI 2.1%, Proletarian Democrats 1.7%, other 3.3%; seats—(630 total) DC 234, PCI 177, PSI 94, MSI 35, PRI 21, PSDI 17, Radicals 13, Greens 13, PLI 11, Proletarian Democrats 8, other 7
_#_Communists: 1.3 million (1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (CGIL—Communist dominated, CISL—Christian Democratic, and UIL—Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM,CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IEA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer),OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP,UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 328-5500; there are Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Consulates in Detroit and Newark (New Jersey);
US—Ambassador Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794); telephone [39] (6) 46741; there are US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which has the colors reversed—orange (hoist side), white, and green
_*Economy#_Overview: Since World War II the economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by small private companies, and an undeveloped agricultural south, dominated by large public enterprises. Services account for 48% of GDP, industry 34%, agriculture 4%, and public administration 13%. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. The economic recovery that began in mid-1983 has continued through 1990, with the economy growing at an annual average rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the European Community.
_#_GDP: $844.7 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 2.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 11.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $355 billion; expenditures $448 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $170.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—textiles, wearing apparel, metals, transportation equipment, chemicals;
partners—EC 57%, US 8%, OPEC 4%
_#_Imports: $182.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, industrial machinery, chemicals, metals, food, agricultural products;
partners—EC 58%, OPEC 6%, US 5%
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.1% (1990); accounts for almost 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 56,800,000 kW capacity; 225,000 million kWh produced, 3,900 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 4% of GDP and 10% of the work force; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products; principal crops—fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 388,200 metric tons in 1988
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $25.9 billion
_#_Currency: Italian lira (plural—lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
_#_Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1—1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned—2,100 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km 0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
_#_Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone,7,010 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 19,400 km
_#_Ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
_#_Merchant marine: 575 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,462,744 GRT/11,593,730 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 44 short-sea passenger, 103 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 67 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 7 vehicle carrier, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 2 livestock carrier, 151 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 37 chemical tanker, 38 liquefied gas, 10 specialized tanker, 14 combination ore/oil, 60 bulk, 2 combination bulk
_#_Civil air: 125 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 138 total, 135 usable; 90 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 36 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: well engineered, constructed, and operated; 28,000,000 telephones; stations—144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM, 450 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,747,224; 12,877,803 fit for military service; 418,043 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $19.2 billion, 2.2% of GDP (1990)%@Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d'Ivoire)*Geography#_Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 3,110 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
_#_Coastline: 515 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons—warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 26%; other 52%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
_*People#_Population: 12,977,909 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 97 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ivorian(s); adjective—Ivorian
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe about 2 million; non-Africans about 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)
_#_Religion: indigenous 63%, Muslim 25%, Christian 12%,
_#_Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 67%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of wage labor force
_*Government#_Long-form name: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note—the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
_#_Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
_#_Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
_#_Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements,singular—(departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope,Agboville, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou,Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane,Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa,Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota,Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro,Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tengrela,Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
_#_Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 3 November 1960
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 7 December
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Dr. FelixHOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960); Prime Minister AllassaneOUATTARE (since 7 November 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results—President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY received 81% of the vote in his first contested election; he is currently serving his seventh consecutive five-year term;
National Assembly—last held 25 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(175 total) PDCI 163, FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
_#_Communists: no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300;
US—Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan); telephone [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors reversed—green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy#_Overview: Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1990.
_#_GDP: $10 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate - 2.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.8 billion (1989 est.); expenditures $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton;
partners—France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%;
partners—France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
_#_External debt: $15.0 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 6% (1989); accounts for 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,440 million kWh produced, 210 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
_#_Agriculture: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops—corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not self-sufficient in bread grain and dairy products
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.9 billion
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
_#_Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
_#_Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet
_#_Airports: 48 total, 41 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations—3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,981,269; 1,543,412 fit for military service; 145,693 males reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $199 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988)%@Jamaica*Geography#_Total area: 10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,022 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 19%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 28%; other 29%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November); deforestation; water pollution
_#_Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
_*People#_Population: 2,489,353 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Jamaican(s); adjective—Jamaican
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3.0%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
_#_Religion: predominantly Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seven-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other 39.1%, including some spiritualist cults (1982)
_#_Language: English, Creole
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,062,100; services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%; unemployed 17.5% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 24% of labor force (1989)
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Kingston
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover,Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine,Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny,Westmoreland
_#_Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 6 August 1962
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 13 February 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:People's National Party (PNP), Michael MANLEY;Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA;Workers' Party of Jamaica (WPJ), Trevor MUNROE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—PNP 57%, JLP 43%; seats—(60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
_#_Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77,GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York;
US—Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica MutualLife Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone (809) 929-4850
_#_Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
_*Economy#_Overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete and real growth was up about 3% for 1989. In 1990, 3.5% economic growth was led by mining and tourism.
_#_GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,580; real growth rate 3.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 18.2% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.0 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $197 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas;
partners—US 36%, UK, Canada, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago
_#_Imports: $1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods;
partners—US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
_#_External debt: $4.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,508 million kWh produced, 1,030 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP, 22% of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops—sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis; transshipment point for ships carrying cocaine and cannabis from central and South America to North America
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.45 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Communist countries (1974-89), $349 million
_#_Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1—8.106 (January 1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications#_Railroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
_#_Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 41 total, 25 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones; stations—10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 628,225; 446,229 fit for military service; no conscription; 26,442 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $20 million, less than 1% of GDP (FY91)%@Jan Mayen (territory of Norway)*Geography#_Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 124.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
_#_Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
_#_Note: located north of the Arctic Circle about 590 km north-northeast of Iceland between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea
_*People#_Population: no permanent inhabitants
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway
_#_Note: administered by a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
_*Economy#_Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
_#_Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1989)
_*Communications#_Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: radio and meteorological station
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway%@Japan*Geography#_Total area: 377,835 km2; land area: 374,744 km2; includes BoninIslands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima,Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands(Kazan-retto)
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 29,751 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits—La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)
_#_Disputes: Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and theHabomai island group occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed byJapan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto(Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
_#_Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
_#_Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 13%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 18%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
_#_Note: strategic location in northeast Asia
_*People#_Population: 124,017,137 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Japanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%
_#_Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites so the percentages add to more than 100%—Shinto 95.8%, Buddhist 76.3%, Christian 1.4%, other 12% (1985)
_#_Language: Japanese
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 63,330,000; trade and services 54%; manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%; government 3% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: about 29% of employed workers; public service 76.4%, transportation and telecommunications 57.9%, mining 48.7%, manufacturing 33.7%, services 18.2%, wholesale, retail, and restaurant 9.3%
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Tokyo
_#_Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural); Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
_#_Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu