_#_Ethnic divisions: predominantly Vietnamese 85-90%; Chinese 3%; ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham; other mountain tribes
_#_Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic, Protestant
_#_Language: Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 92%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 32.7 million; agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)
_#_Organized labor: reportedly over 90% of wage and salary earners are members of the Vietnam Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)
_*Government#_Long-form name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Hanoi
_#_Administrative divisions: 41 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and plural); An Giang, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Cao Bang, Cuu Long, Dak Lak, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai-Kon Tum, Ha Bac, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam Ninh, Ha Noi*, Ha Son Binh, Ha Tuyen, Hau Giang, Hoang Lien Son, Ho Chi Minh*, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Long An, Minh Hai, Nghe Tinh, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Song Be, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Thuan Hai, Tien Giang, Vinh Phu, Vung Tau-Con Dao; note—diacritical marks are not included
_#_Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 18 December 1980
_#_Legal system: based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
_#_Executive branch: chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Chairman of the Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier)Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party— Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), Nguyen Van LINH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results—VCP is the only party; seats—(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496
_#_Communists: nearly 2 million
_#_Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IIB, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy#_Overview: This is a centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is primarily agricultural; the sector employs about 65% of the labor force and accounts for almost half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are also grown. The government permits sale of surplus grain on the open market. Most of the mineral resources are located in the north, including coal, which is an important export item. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986 with production reaching 54,000 b/d in 1990 and expected to increase in the years ahead. Following the end of the war in 1975, heavy-handed government measures undermined efforts at an efficient merger of the agricultural resources of the south and the industrial resources of the north. The economy remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and has received assistance from Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness and is showing signs of accelerating upwards again. Per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since late 1986 the government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more economic activity over to the private sector.
_#_GNP: $15.2 billion, per capita $230; real growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 65% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 33% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $892 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $344 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, crude petroleum, ores, seafood;
partners—USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
_#_Imports: $2.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain;
partners—USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
_#_External debt: $16.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989); accounts for 30% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 2,740,000 kW capacity; 7,500 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for half of GNP; paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up 50% of farm output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas) and animal products other 50%; since 1989 self-sufficient in food staple rice; fish catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $12.0 billion
_#_Currency: new dong (plural—new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
_#_Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1—7,530 (May 1991), 7,280 (December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990), 2,047 (1988), 225 (1987), 18 (1986), 12 (1985); note—1985-89 figures are end of year
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to service
_#_Highways: about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km bituminous, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth, 26,900 km unimproved earth
_#_Pipelines: 150 km, refined products
_#_Inland waterways: about 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 meter draft
_#_Ports: Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City
_#_Merchant marine: 87 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,596 GRT/539,174 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 69 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 8 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 bulk; note—Vietnam owns 11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 106,759 DWT under the registry of Panama and Malta
_#_Civil air: controlled by military
_#_Airports: 100 total, 100 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones in Ho Chi Minh City (1984); stations—16 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 2,300,000 TV sets; 6,000,000 radio receivers; at least 2 satellite earth stations, including 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines and Naval Infantry), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,260,120; 10,377,105 fit for military service; 809,617 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 19.4% of GNP (1986 est.)%@Virgin Islands (territory of the US)*Geography#_Total area: 352 km2; land area: 349 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 188 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
_#_Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
_#_Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and woodland 6%; other 47%
_#_Environment: rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
_#_Note: important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of Puerto Rico, along the Anegada Passage—a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
_*People#_Population: 99,404 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Virgin Islander(s); adjective—Virgin Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%; black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%
_#_Religion: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
_#_Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 45,500 (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 90% of the government labor force
_*Government#_Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the United States
_#_Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Capital: Charlotte Amalie
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the constitution
_#_Legal system: based on US
_#_National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
_#_Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
_#_Judicial branch: US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; Territorial Court handles civil matters up to $50,000 small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President GeorgeBUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by Governor Alexander A.FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since5 January 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders:Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON;Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin BROWN;Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990); results—Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) defeated Adelbert BRYAN (ICM);
Senate—last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives—last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative
_#_Member of: ECLAC (associate), IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
_*Economy#_Overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The agricultural sector is small, most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is at Saint Croix.
_#_GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $9,000; real growth rate NA% (1985)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $470 million; expenditures $322 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)
_#_Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—refined petroleum products;
partners—US, Puerto Rico
_#_Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials;
partners—US, Puerto Rico
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12%
_#_Electricity: 358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
_#_Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $34.5 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications#_Highways: 856 km total
_#_Ports: Saint Croix—Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas—Long Bay, Crown Bay, Red Hook; Saint John—Cruz Bay
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m; international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
_#_Telecommunications: 44,280 telephones; stations—4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV; modern system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 90,000 radios; 56,000 TVs
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of the US%@Wake Island (territory of the US)*Geography#_Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 19.3 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average elevation less than four meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
_#_Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
_*People#_Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants; 302 temporary population
_#_Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972
_#_Flag: the US flag is used
_*Economy#_Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
_#_Electricity: supplied by US military
_*Communications#_Ports: none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440 to 3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_#_Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only by US military and some commercial cargo planes
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of the US%@Wallis and Futuna (overseas territory of France)*Geography#_Total area: 274 km2; land area: 274 km2; includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 129 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October)
_#_Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%
_#_Environment: both island groups have fringing reefs
_#_Note: located 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
_*People#_Population: 16,590 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders; adjective—Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Polynesian
_#_Religion: largely Roman Catholic
_#_Language: French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 50%, female 51%) at all ages can read and write (1969)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government#_Long-form name: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
_#_Type: overseas territory of France
_#_Capital: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, high administrator; note—there are three traditional kings with limited powers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale)
_#_Judicial branch: none; justice generally administered under French law by the chief administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government—Chief Administrator Roger DUMEC (since 15 July 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:Rally for the Republic (RPR);Union Populaire Locale (UPL);Union Pour la Democratie Francaise (UDF);Lua kae tahi (Giscardians);Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche (MRG)
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly—last held 15 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(20 total) RPR 7, UPL 6, UDF and Lua kae tahi 7;
French Senate—last held NA September 1989 (next to be held by September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) RPR 1;
French National Assembly—last held 12 June 1988 (next to be held by September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) MRG 1
_#_Member of: FZ, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy#_Overview: The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of the labor force earning its livelihood from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia. Wallis and Futuna imports food, fuel, clothing, machinery, and transport equipment, but its exports are negligible, consisting of copra and handicrafts.
_#_GDP: $7.5 million, per capita $470; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $2.7 million; expenditures $2.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1983)
_#_Exports: negligible;
commodities—copra, handicrafts;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $6.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—foodstuffs, manufactured goods, transportation equipment, fuel;
partners—France, Australia, New Zealand
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,200 kW capacity; 1 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
_#_Agriculture: dominated by coconut production, with subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas, and herds of pigs and goats
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $118 million
_#_Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural—francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—93.28 (January 1991), 99.0 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note—linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications#_Highways: 100 km on Ile Uvea, 16 km sealed; 20 km earth surface on Ile Futuna
_#_Inland waterways: none
_#_Ports: Mata-Utu, Leava
_#_Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 225 telephones; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces#Note: defense is the responsibility of France%@West Bank#_Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. 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 the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan River under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, with respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
_*Geography#_Total area: 5,860 km2; land area: 5,640 km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware
_#_Land boundaries: 404 km total; Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km;
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
_#_Climate: temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 27%, permanent crops 0%, meadows and pastures 32%, forest and woodland 1%, other 40%
_#_Environment: highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers
_#_Note: landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
_*People#_Population: 1,086,081 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991); in addition, there are 90,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 120,000 in East Jerusalem (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 69 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: NA
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%
_#_Religion: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 80%, Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%
_#_Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers—small industry, commerce, and business 29.8%, construction 24.2%, agriculture 22.4%, service and other 23.6% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Note: The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the West Bank will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how the area is to be governed.
_*Economy#_Overview: Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military occupation and the effects of the Palestinian uprising. Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable financial resources have been discouraged by a lack of financial resources and Israeli policy. Capital investment has largely gone into residential housing, not into productive assets that could compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and neighboring Gulf states but remittances from the Gulf dropped dramatically in the wake of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Israeli reprisals against Palestinian unrest in the West Bank since 1987 have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards. The Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-91 also dealt a blow to the economy. Many Palestinians returned from the Gulf, exacerbating unemployment. Export revenues have plunged because of the loss of export markets in Jordan and the Gulf.
_#_GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 40% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $47.4 million; expenditures $45.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)
_#_Exports: $150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—NA; partners—Jordan, Israel
_#_Imports: $410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—NA; partners—Jordan, Israel
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: power supplied by Israel
_#_Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
_#_Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.35 (May 1991), 2.0161 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1—0.6670 (January 1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: previously 1 April-31 March; FY91 will be 1 April-31 December and starting 1 January 1992 the fiscal year will conform to the calendar year
_*Communications#_Highways: small indigenous road network, Israelis developing east-west axial highways
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 257,740; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP%@Western Sahara*Geography#_Total area: 266,000 km2; land area: 266,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 2,046 km total; Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
_#_Coastline: 1,110 km
_#_Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
_#_Disputes: claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and guerrilla fighting continues in the area
_#_Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore currents produce fog and heavy dew
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 0%; other 81%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility; sparse water and arable land
_*People#_Population: 196,737 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 23 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 177 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male, 41 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saharan(s), Moroccan(s); adjective—Saharan, Moroccan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab and Berber
_#_Religion: Muslim
_#_Language: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 12,000; 50% animal husbandry and subsistence farming
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government in exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government in exile was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continue sporadically.
_#_Capital: none
_#_Administrative divisions: none (under de facto control of Morocco)
_#_Leaders: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_*Economy#_Overview: Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a few hundred dollars. Fishing and phosphate mining are the principal industries and sources of income. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.);
commodities—phosphates 62%;
partners—Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
_#_Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.);
commodities—fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs;
partners—Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 60,000 kW capacity; 79 million kWh produced, 425 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: phosphate, fishing, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: limited largely to subsistence agriculture; some barley is grown in nondrought years; fruit and vegetables are grown in the few oases; food imports are essential; camels, sheep, and goats are kept by the nomadic natives; cash economy exists largely for the garrison forces
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1—8.071 (January 1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications#_Highways: 6,100 km total; 1,350 km surfaced, 4,750 km improved and unimproved earth roads and tracks
_#_Ports: El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
_#_Airports: 16 total, 14 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sparse and limited system; tied into Morocco's system by radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP%@Western Samoa*Geography#_Total area: 2,860 km2; land area: 2,850 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 403 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
_#_Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 19%; permanent crops 24%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 47%; other 10%
_#_Environment: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
_#_Note: located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
_*People#_Population: 190,346 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Western Samoan(s); adjective—Western Samoan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Samoan; Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) about 7%, Europeans 0.4%
_#_Religion: Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
_#_Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 38,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Public Service Association (PSA)
_*Government#_Long-form name: Independent State of Western Samoa
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy under native chief
_#_Capital: Apia
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
_#_Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1962
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 1 June
_#_Executive branch: monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963);
Head of Government—Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), VA'AI Kolone, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held NA February 1991 (next to be held by February 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14, independent 3
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196;
US—the ambassador to New Zealand, Della Newman, is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia); telephone (685) 21-631
_#_Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
_*Economy#_Overview: Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.
_#_GDP: $115 million, per capita $620; real growth rate - 4.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%; shortage of skilled labor
_#_Budget: revenues $70 million; expenditures $73 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (1990)
_#_Exports: $9.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—coconut oil and cream 54%, taro 12%, copra 9%, cocoa 3%;
partners—NZ 28%, EC 23%, American Samoa 23%, Australia 11%, US 6% (1990)
_#_Imports: $87 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%;
partners—New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)
_#_External debt: $83 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 4.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $291 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million
_#_Currency: tala (plural—tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
_#_Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1—2.3170 (January 1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351 (1986), 2.2437 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Highways: 2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth
_#_Ports: Apia
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT; includes 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Department of Police and Prisons
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 49,119; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP%@World*Geography#_Total area: 510,072,000 km2; 361,132,000 km2 (70.8%) is water and 148,940,000 km2 (29.2%) is land
_#_Comparative area: land area about 16 times the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 442,000 km
_#_Coastline: 359,000 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: generally 24 nm, but varies from 4 nm to 25 nm;
Continental shelf: generally 200 nm, but some are 200 meters in depth;
Exclusive fishing zone: most are 200 nm, but varies from 3 nm to 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; only the Maldives varies from 35-310 nm;
Territorial sea: generally 12 nm, but varies from 3 nm to 50 nm;
note—32 nations and miscellaneous areas are landlocked and include Afghanistan, Andorra, Austria, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Swaziland, Switzerland, Uganda, Vatican City, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe
_#_Disputes: major international land boundary disputes—Argentina-Uruguay, Bangladesh-India, Brazil-Paraguay, Brazil-Uruguay, Cambodia-Vietnam, Chad-Libya, China-India, China-USSR, Ecuador-Peru, Egypt-Sudan, El Salvador-Honduras, Ethiopia-Somalia, French Guiana-Suriname, Guyana-Suriname, Guyana-Venezuela, Israel-Jordan, Israel-Syria, North Korea-South Korea, Oman-UAE, Oman-Yemen, Qatar-UAE, Saudi Arabia-Yemen
_#_Climate: two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
_#_Terrain: highest elevation is Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters and lowest depression is the Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level; greatest ocean depth is the Marianas Trench at 10,924 meters
_#_Natural resources: the oceans represent the last major frontier for the discovery and development of natural resources
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 31%; other 34%; includes irrigated 1.6%
_#_Environment: large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions), overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife resources, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion
_*People#_Population: 5,419,643,132 (July 1991), growth rate 1.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 65 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Literacy: 74% (male 81%, female 67%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2.2 billion (1991)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government#_Administrative divisions: 170 sovereign nations plus 72 dependent, other, and miscellaneous areas
_#_Legal system: varies among each of the entities; 162 are parties to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
_#_Diplomatic representation: there are 159 members of the UN
_*Economy#_Overview: In 1990 the world economy grew at an estimated 1.0%, considerably lower than the estimated 3.0% for 1989 and the 3.4% for 1988. The technologically advanced areas—North America, Japan, and Western Europe—together account for 67% of the gross world product (GWP) of $20.9 trillion; these developed areas grew in the aggregate at 2.3% in 1990. In contrast, output in the USSR and Eastern Europe fell an average of 5.2%; these countries account for 15% of GWP. Experience in the developing countries continued mixed, with the newly industrializing economies generally maintaining their rapid growth, and many others struggling with debt, rampant inflation, and inadequate investment. This third group contributed 18% of GWP and grew on average 2.3% in 1990; output in this group is probably understated because of lack of data and the method of calculation used. The year 1990 witnessed continued political and economic upheavals in the USSR and Eastern Europe, which are in between systems, lacking both the rough discipline of the command economy and the institutions of the market economy. As for prospects in the 1990s, the addition of nearly 100 million people a year to an already overcrowded globe will exacerbate the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine.
_#_GWP (gross world product): $20.9 trillion, per capita $3,930; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): developed countries 5%; developing countries 100%, with wide variations (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Exports: $3.33 trillion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services;
partners—in value, 74% of exports from industrial countries
_#_Imports: $3.45 trillion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services;