_*Economy#_Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.
_#_GDP: $9.2 billion, per capita $5,870 (1990); real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish;
partners—Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
_#_Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants;
partners—UK, UAE, Japan, US
_#_External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector
_#_Electricity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $122 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
_#_Currency: Omani rial (plural—rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
_#_Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1—0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Highways: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
_#_Ports: Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut
_#_Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 348,849; 197,870 fit for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991)%@Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the (Palau)*Geography#_Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,519 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
_#_Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
_#_Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands
_*People#_Population: 14,411 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Palauan(s); adjective—Palauan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Palauan is the official language, though English is commonplace; inhabitants of the isolated southwestern islands speak a dialect of Trukese
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government#_Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note—Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
_#_Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
_#_Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
_#_Constitution: 11 January 1981
_#_Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
_#_Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national president, national vice president
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); represented by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Stella GUERRA (since NA July 1989);
Head of Government—President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988)
_#_Political parties: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%;
Senate—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(18 total);
House of Delegates—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(16 total)
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none;
US—US Liaison Officer Lloyd MOSS; US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau 96940); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
_#_Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
_*Economy#_Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
_#_GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
_#_Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities—NA;
partners—US, Japan
_#_Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986);
commodities—NA;
partners—US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture
_#_Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications#_Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
_#_Ports: Koror
_#_Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN trusteeship terminates%@Pacific Ocean*Geography#_Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
_#_Coastline: 135,663 km
_#_Climate: the western Pacific is monsoonal—a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
_#_Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
_#_Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
_#_Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
_*Economy#_Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
_#_Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
_*Communications#_Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US),Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle(US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok(USSR), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
_#Telecommunications: several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii%@Pakistan*Geography#_Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
_#_Coastline: 1,046 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus
_#_Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
_#_Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
_#_Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 26%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 4%; other 64%; includes irrigated 19%
_#_Environment: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
_#_Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
_*People#_Population: 117,490,278 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Pakistani(s); adjective—Pakistani
_#_Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
_#_Religion: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shia 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
_#_Language: Urdu and English (both official); total spoken languages—Punjabi 64%, Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%; English is lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
_*Government#_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
_#_Type: parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
_#_Capital: Islamabad
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note—the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
_#_Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6November 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders: Islamic DemocraticAlliance (Islami Jamuri Ittehad or IJI)—the Pakistan Muslim League(PML) led by Mohammed Khan JUNEJO is the main party in the IJI;Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; note—in September 1990the PPP announced the formation of the People's Democratic Alliance(PDA), an electoral alliance including the following fourparties—PPP, Solidarity Movement (Tehrik Istiqlal), Movement for theImplementation of Shia Jurisprudence (Tehrik-i-Nifaz Fiqh Jafariyaor TNFJ), and the PML (Malik faction);Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf HUSSAIN;Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali KHAN;Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur RAHMAN;Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI;Pakistan National Party (PNP), Mir Ghaus Bakhsh BIZENJO;Pakistan Khawa Milli Party (PKMP), leader NA;Assembly of Pakistani Clergy (Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP),Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI;Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—Ghulam Ishaq KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies;
Senate—last held March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results—elected by provincial assemblies; seats—(87 total) IJI 57, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3, PNP 2, PKMP 1, JUI 1, independent 1;
National Assembly—last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by October 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(217 total) IJI 107, PDA 45, MQM 15, ANP 6, JUI 6, JWP 2, PNP 2, PKMP 1, independent 14, religious minorities 10, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, vacant 1
_#_Communists: the Communist party is officially banned but is allowed to operate openly
_#_Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Najmuddin SHAIKH; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave,Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048,Islamabad or APO New York 09614); telephone [92] (51) 826161through 79; there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, and aConsulate in Peshawar
_#_Flag: green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy#_Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial support. Late in 1990, the IMF suspended assistance to Pakistan because the government failed to follow through on deficit reforms. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway on raising living standards for its rapidly expanding population; at the current rate of growth, population would double in 29 years.
_#_GNP: $43.3 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 5.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (FY91 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $5.6 billion; expenditures $10.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7 billion (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—rice, cotton, textiles, clothing;
partners—EC 31%, Japan 11.6%, US 11.5% (FY89)
_#_Imports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals;
partners—EC 26%, US 16%, Japan 14% (FY89)
_#_External debt: $20.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.5% (FY91 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products, construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
_#_Agriculture: 25% of GDP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops—cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products—milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success
_#_Economic aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $8.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
_#_Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
_#_Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1—22.072 (January 1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications#_Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government owned (1985)
_#_Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
_#_Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,855 GRT/500,627 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 115 total, 105 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast service good; 813,000 telephones (1990); stations—19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 26,840,840; 16,466,334 fit for military service; 1,322,883 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (FY91)%@Palmyra Atoll (territory of the US)*Geography#_Total area: 11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 14.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
_#_Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 100%; other 0%
_#_Environment: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
_#_Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
_*People#_Population: uninhabited
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_*Economy#_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of the US%@Panama*Geography#_Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
_#_Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
_#_Coastline: 2,490 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
_#_Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
_#_Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
_#_Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
_*People#_Population: 2,476,281 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Panamanian(s); adjective—Panamanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%; manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone 2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
_*Government#_Long-form name: Republic of Panama
_#_Type: centralized republic
_#_Capital: Panama
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
_#_Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
_#_Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being reorganized
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government alliance—Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement(MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;Authentic Liberal Party (PLA);Arnulfista Party (PA), Francisco ARTOLA;
opposition parties—Christian Democratic Party (PDC),Ricardo ARIAS Calderon;Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party),Gerardo GONZALEZ;Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos ELETA Almaran;Liberal Party (PL);People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben DARIOSousa Batista;Democratic Workers Party (PDT, leftist), Eduardo RIOS;National Action Party (PAN, rightist);Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan ZUNIGA;Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA;Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela DIXON
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994); results—anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly—last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(67 total) progovernment parties—PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 6, PLA 5;
opposition parties—PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note—the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
_#_Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Soviet mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: National Council of OrganizedWorkers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National CivicCrusade; National Committee for the Right to Life
_#_Member of: AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS,OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not yet been determined;
US—Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa andCalle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E,APO Miami 34002); telephone [507] 27-1777
_#_Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy#_Overview: GDP expanded by an estimated 5% in 1990, after contracting 1% in 1988 and 14% in 1989. Political stability prompted greater business confidence and consumer demand, leading to increased production by the agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, construction, and utilities sectors. The transportation sector and government services declined slightly due to slack early-1990 transits through the Panama Canal, lower oil pipeline flowthrough, and Panama City's budget cuts. Imports and exports posted gains during the year, and government revenues were up sharply over 1989's levels.
_#_GDP: $4.8 billion, per capita $1,980; real growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $355 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—bananas 27%, shrimp 21%, clothing 6%, coffee 4%, sugar 4%;
partners—US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $1,250 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—foodstuffs 13%, capital goods 12%, crude oil 12%, consumer goods, chemicals;
partners—US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $5 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,264 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP (1990 est.), 25% of labor force (1989); crops—bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $575 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
_#_Currency: balboa (plural—balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
_#_Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1—1.000 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
_#_Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
_#_Merchant marine: 2,932 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/66,226,104 DWT; includes 22 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 5 passenger-cargo, 1,060 cargo, 188 refrigerated cargo, 165 container, 62 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 105 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier, 301 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 175 chemical tanker, 27 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 651 bulk, 37 combination bulk; note—all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 8%; (China owns at least 127 ships, Vietnam 10, Yugoslavia 10, Cuba 5, Cyprus 3, and USSR 2)
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 113 total, 101 usable; 41 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: note—the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco Solis in the office of the president coordinates the activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos Bares is attached to the presidency
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 644,895; 444,522 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)%@Papua New Guinea*Geography#_Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than California
_#_Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
_#_Coastline: 5,152 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
_#_Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28%
_#_Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
_#_Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia
_*People#_Population: 3,913,186 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Papua New Guinean(s); adjective—Papua New Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
_#_Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
_#_Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; agriculture 54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980)
_#_Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
_*Government#_Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port Moresby
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, EasternHighlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, MilneBay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons,Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
_#_Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
_#_Constitution: 16 September 1975
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO (since 29 April 1990); note—Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO has the title only since he has been suspended pending trial for alleged corruption charges
_#_Political parties:Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU;People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN;United Party (UP), Paul TORATO;Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA;National Party (NP), Paul PORA;Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Parliament—last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results—PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, other 11.6%; seats—(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, other 14
_#_Communists: no significant strength
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856;
US—Ambassador Robert W. FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone [675] 211-455 or 594, 654
_#_Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered
_*Economy#_Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $725; real growth rate - 3.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $873 million, including capital expenditures of $119 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—gold, copper ore, coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster;
partners—FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
_#_Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods;
partners—Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
_#_External debt: $2.76 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism
_#_Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops—coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products—tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban centers
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
_#_Currency: kina (plural—kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
_#_Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1—1.0549 (January 1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 10,940 km
_#_Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,711 GRT/34,682 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations—31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)%@Paracel Islands*Geography#_Total area: undetermined
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 518 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way between Vietnam and the Philippines
_*People#_Population: no permanent inhabitants
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_*Economy#_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications#_Ports: small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island currently under expansion
_#_Airports: 1 on Woody Island
_*Defense Forces#Note: occupied by China%@Paraguay*Geography#_Total area: 406,750 km2; land area: 397,300 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) has not been determined
_#_Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
_#_Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
_#_Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
_*People#_Population: 4,798,739 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 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: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Paraguayan(s); adjective—Paraguayan