Railroads:total: 2,757 kmstandard gauge: 2,757 km km 1.435-m gauge (1,991 km electrified; 1,800km double track) (1994)
Highways:total: 104,831 kmpaved: 92,251 km (2,118 km of expressway)unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 12,580 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000metric ton capacity or larger
Pipelines: crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas10,230 km
Ports: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem,Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht
Merchant marine:total: 343 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,629,578 GRT/3,337,307DWTships by type: bulk 2, cargo 195, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk3, container 33, liquefied gas tanker 12, livestock carrier 1,multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 37, railcar carrier 1,refrigerated cargo 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14, short-sea passenger3, specialized tanker 2note: many Dutch-owned ships are also registered on the NetherlandsAntilles register
Airports:total: 29with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3with paved runways under 914 m: 8with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
@Netherlands:Communications
Telephone system: 9,418,000 telephones; highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay links local: nationwide mobile phone system intercity: microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3 (relays 3), FM 12 (repeaters 39), shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 8 (repeaters 7) televisions: NA
@Netherlands:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includesNaval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force,Royal Constabulary
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 4,177,555; males fit formilitary service 3,656,529; males reach military age (20) annually94,771 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.2% ofGDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
(part of the Dutch realm)
@Netherlands Antilles:Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total area: 960 sq kmland area: 960 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington,DCnote: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and SintMaarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 92%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:current issues: NAnatural hazards: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricanebelt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius aresubject to hurricanes from July to Octoberinternational agreements: party to - Whaling (extended fromNetherlands)
@Netherlands Antilles:People
Population: 203,505 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 26% (female 25,349; male 26,577)15-64 years: 67% (female 69,273; male 67,485)65 years and over: 7% (female 8,599; male 6,222) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.06% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 16.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.94 years male: 74.67 years female: 79.33 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic divisions: mixed African 85%, Carib Indian, European, Latin,Oriental
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento aSpanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates, English widelyspoken, Spanish
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981)total population: 98%male: 98%female: 99%
Labor force: 89,000by occupation: government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
@Netherlands Antilles:Government
Names:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Netherlands Antilleslocal long form: nonelocal short form: Nederlandse Antillen
Digraph: NT
Type: part of the Dutch realm; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Capital: Willemstad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)
Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of theNetherlands, as amended
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some Englishcommon law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October1989)head of government: Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 25 February1994)cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed with the advice and approvalof the unicameral legislature
Legislative branch: unicameralStaten: elections last held on 25 February 1994 (next to be held March1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (23 total) PAR8, PNP 3, SPA 2, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, DP 1, WIPM 1, DP-St.E 1, DP-St.M1, Nos Patria 1note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalitionof several parties
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous toeach islandBonaire: Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; DemocraticParty of Bonaire (PDB), Franklin CRESTIANCuracao: Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; NationalPeople's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement(MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL),Wilson (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK andNelson MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; NosPatria, Chin BEHILIASaba: Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will JOHNSON;Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon HASSELL; Saba Unity Party,Carmen SIMMONDSSint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), K. VanPUTTEN; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. EustatiusAlliance (SEA), Ralph BERKELSint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), ClaudeWATHEY; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES
Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL,IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WMO, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (self-governing part of theNetherlands)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Consul General Bernard J. WOERZ consulate(s) general: Saint Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 61-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 61-6489
Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
@Netherlands Antilles:Economy
Overview: Tourism and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela and the US being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.85 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1993 est.)
Budget:revenues: $209 millionexpenditures: $232 million, including capital expenditures of $8million (1992 est.)
Exports: $240 million (f.o.b., 1993)commodities: petroleum products 98%partners: US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%
Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures partners: Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%
External debt: $672 million (December 1991)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 200,000 kW production: 810 million kWh consumption per capita: 4,054 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Agriculture: chief products - aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables,tropical fruit
Illicit drugs: money-laundering center; transshipment point for SouthAmerican cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Economic aid:recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateralcommitments (1970-89), $513 million
Currency: 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) =100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins(NAf.) per US$1 - 1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate1971-88)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Netherlands Antilles:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 950 km paved: 300 km unpaved: gravel, earth 650 km
Ports: Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
Merchant marine:total: 110 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,044,553 GRT/1,343,842DWTships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 6,combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunctionlarge-load carrier 20, oil tanker 2, passenger 4, refrigerated cargo27, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
Airports:total: 5with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Netherlands Antilles:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; generally adequate facilitieslocal: NAintercity: extensive interisland microwave radio relay linksinternational: 2 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earthstations
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 1televisions: NA
@Netherlands Antilles:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands AirForce, National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 56,058; males fit for military service 31,558; males reach military age (20) annually 1,734 (1995 est.)
Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands
________________________________________________________________________
(overseas territory of France)
@New Caledonia:Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east ofAustralia
Map references: Oceania
Area:total area: 19,060 sq kmland area: 18,760 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 14% forest and woodland: 51% other: 35%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:current issues: NAnatural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to Marchinternational agreements: NA
@New Caledonia:People
Population: 184,552 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 31% (female 27,712; male 28,677)15-64 years: 64% (female 58,462; male 60,169)65 years and over: 5% (female 4,997; male 4,535) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.75% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.04 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.02 years male: 70.73 years female: 77.48 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages: French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1976)total population: 91%male: 92%female: 90%
Labor force: 50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines fromWallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)by occupation: NA
@New Caledonia:Government
Names:conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependenciesconventional short form: New Caledonialocal long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependanceslocal short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Digraph: NC
Type: overseas territory of France since 1956
Capital: Noumea
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); thereare no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the USGovernment, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, andSud
Independence: none (overseas territory of France; a referendum onindependence will be held in 1998)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)head of government: High Commissioner and President of the Council ofGovernment Didier CULTIAUX (since NA July 1994; appointed by theFrench Ministry of the Interior); President of the TerritorialCongress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989)cabinet: Consultative Committee
Legislative branch: unicameralTerritorial Assembly: elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to beheld July 1995); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5;note - election boycotted by FULKFrench Senate: elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be heldSeptember 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1total) RPCR 1French National Assembly: elections last held 21 March 1993 (next tobe held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA;seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: white-dominated Rassemblement pour laCaledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR,president - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique(RPR; also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependenceKanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), NidoishNAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; CaledonieDemain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO),conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK),proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), FrancoisBURCK, president; "1999" (new party calling for an autonomous state),Philippe PENTECOST
Member of: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@New Caledonia:Economy
Overview: New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1988)
National product per capita: $6,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1989)
Budget:revenues: $224 millionexpenditures: $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA(1985 est.)
Exports: $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel orepartners: France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%
Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 250,000 kW production: 1.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,178 kWh (1993)
Industries: nickel mining and smelting
Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn,wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principalsource of income for some families
Economic aid:recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateralcommitments (1970-89), $4.185 billion
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 96.25 (January 1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
@New Caledonia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 6,340 km paved: 634 km unpaved: 5,706 km (1987)
Ports: Mueo, Noumea, Thio
Merchant marine:total: 1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079GRT/724 DWT
Airports:total: 36with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3with paved runways under 914 m: 19with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 13
@New Caledonia:Communications
Telephone system: 32,578 telephones (1987)local: NAintercity: NAinternational: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) satellite link
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 7televisions: NA
@New Caledonia:Defense Forces
Branches: French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie);Police Force
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
@New Zealand:Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast ofAustralia
Map references: Oceania
Area:total area: 268,680 sq kmland area: 268,670 sq kmcomparative area: about the size of Coloradonote: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands,Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims:continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (RossDependency)
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 53% forest and woodland: 38% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 2,800 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and faunahard-hit by species introduced from outsidenatural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severeinternational agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, NuclearTest Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands,Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Marine LifeConservation
Note: about 80% of the population lives in cities
@New Zealand:People
Population: 3,407,277 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 23% (female 381,027; male 401,285)15-64 years: 65% (female 1,109,402; male 1,111,079)65 years and over: 12% (female 234,339; male 170,145) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.52% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.14 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.03 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.65 years male: 73.08 years female: 80.42 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic divisions: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)
Languages: English (official), Maori
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 1,603,500 (June 1991) by occupation: services 66.6%, industry 22.6%, agriculture 10.8% (1992)
@New Zealand:Government
Names:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: New Zealand
Abbreviation: NZ
Digraph: NZ
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Wellington
Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 towndistricts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller,Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont,Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden Bay,Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay,Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt,Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie,Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough,Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua,Otamatea, Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako,Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga,Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford,Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga,Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo,Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea,Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa,Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland,Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodvillenote: there may be a new administrative structure of 16 regions(Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay,Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman,Waikato, Wanganui-Manawatu, Wellington, West Coast) that aresubdivided into 57 districts and 16 cities* (Ashburton, Auckland*,Banks Peninsula, Buller, Carterton, Central Hawke's Bay, CentralOtago, Christchurch*, Clutha, Dunedin*, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne,Gore, Grey, Hamilton*, Hastings, Hauraki, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt*,Invercargill*, Kaikoura, Kaipara, Kapiti Coast, Kawerau, Mackenzie,Manawatu, Manukau*, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata Piako, Napier*,Nelson*, New Plymouth, North Shore*, Opotiki, Otorohanga, PalmerstonNorth*, Papakura*, Porirua*, Queenstown Lakes, Rangitikei, Rodney,Rotorua, Ruapehu, Selwyn, Southland, South Taranaki, South Waikato,South Wairarapa, Stratford, Tararua, Tasman, Taupo, Tauranga, ThamesCoromandel, Timaru, Upper Hutt*, Waikato, Waimakariri, Waimate, Waipa,Wairoa, Waitakere*, Waitaki, Waitomo, Wanganui, Wellington*, WesternBay of Plenty, Westland, Whakatane, Whangarei)
Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangiestablished British sovereignty)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution; consists of variousdocuments, including certain acts of the UK and New ZealandParliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1January 1987, but has not been enacted
Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor General Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12December 1990)head of government: Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October1990); Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the governor general onrecommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives: (commonly called Parliament) elections last held 6 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - NP 35.2%, NZLP 34.7%, Alliance 18.3%, New Zealand First 8.3%; seats - (99 total) NP 50, NZLP 45, Alliance 2, New Zealand First Party 2
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: National Party (NP, government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP, opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance, Sandra LEE; Democratic Party, Dick RYAN; New Zealand Liberal Party, Hanmish MACINTYRE and Gilbert MYLES; Green Party, no official leader; Mana Motuhake, Martin RATA; Socialist Unity Party (SUP, pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS; New Zealand First, Winston PETERS note: the New Labor, Democratic, and Mana Motuhake parties formed a coalition called the Alliance Party, Sandra LEE, president, in September 1991; the Green Party joined the coalition in May 1992
Member of: ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August1986), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO,GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAVEM II,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel John WOOD chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 consulate(s) general: Apia (Western Samoa), Los Angeles
US diplomatic representation:chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMANembassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellingtonmailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP96531-1001telephone: [64] (4) 472-2068FAX: [64] (4) 472-3537consulate(s) general: Auckland
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
@New Zealand:Economy
Overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to a more industrialized, open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, broaden and deepen the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The initial results were mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels, but growth was sluggish in 1988-91. In 1992-93, growth picked up to 3% annually, a sign that the new economic approach was beginning to pay off. Business confidence strengthened in 1994, and export demand picked up in the Asia-Pacific region, resulting in 6.2% growth. Inflation remains among the lowest in the industrial world.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $56.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 6.2% (1994)
National product per capita: $16,640 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (FY93/94)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (December 1994)
Budget:revenues: $18.94 billionexpenditures: $18.82 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(FY94/95)note: surplus $120 million (FY94/95)
Exports: $11.2 billion (1994)commodities: wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fish, cheese, chemicals,forestry products, fruits and vegetables, manufacturespartners: Australia 20%, Japan 15%, US 12%, UK 6%
Imports: $10.4 billion (1994) commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, consumer goods partners: Australia 21%, US 18%, Japan 16%, UK 6%
External debt: $38.5 billion (September 1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 7,520,000 kW production: 30.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,401 kWh (1993)
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP and about 11% of the work force; livestock predominates - wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops - wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988
Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5601 (January 1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@New Zealand:Transportation
Railroads:total: 4,716 kmnarrow gauge: 4,716 km 1.067-m gauge (113 km electrified; 274 kmdouble track)
Highways:total: 92,648 kmpaved: 49,547 kmunpaved: gravel, crushed stone 43,101 km
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines: petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; condensate (liquified petroleum gas - LPG) 150 km
Ports: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington
Merchant marine:total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 165,504 GRT/218,699 DWTships by type: bulk 6, cargo 2, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 3,railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5
Airports:total: 102with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 28with paved runways under 914 m: 41with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 21
@New Zealand:Communications
Telephone system: 2,110,000 telephones; excellent international anddomestic systemslocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 64, FM 2, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 14televisions: NA
@New Zealand:Defense Forces
Branches: New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New ZealandAir Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 883,668; males fit for militaryservice 742,871; males reach military age (20) annually 27,162 (1995est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% ofGDP (FY90/91)
________________________________________________________________________
@Nicaragua:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and theNorth Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total area: 129,494 sq kmland area: 120,254 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries: total 1,231 km, Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 25-nm security zone continental shelf: natural prolongation territorial sea: 200 nm
International disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) referred the disputants to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interiormountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber,fish
Land use: arable land: 9% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 43% forest and woodland: 35% other: 12%
Irrigated land: 850 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollutionnatural hazards: destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, andoccasionally severe hurricanesinternational agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear TestBan, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
@Nicaragua:People
Population: 4,206,353 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44% (female 921,356; male 930,594)15-64 years: 53% (female 1,146,485; male 1,097,811)65 years and over: 3% (female 62,607; male 47,500) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.61% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 33.73 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 50.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.54 years male: 61.67 years female: 67.53 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.17 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Caucasian) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages: Spanish (official)note: English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971)total population: 57%male: 57%female: 57%
Labor force: 1.086 millionby occupation: services 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
@Nicaragua:Government
Names:conventional long form: Republic of Nicaraguaconventional short form: Nicaragualocal long form: Republica de Nicaragualocal short form: Nicaragua
Digraph: NU
Type: republic
Capital: Managua
Administrative divisions: 16 departments (departamentos, singular -departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada,Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, RioSan Juan, Rivas, Zelaya
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 9 January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state and head of government: President Violeta Barrios deCHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY Reyes(since 25 April 1990); election last held 25 February 1990 (next to beheld November 1996); results - Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO)54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%cabinet: Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameralNational Assembly (Asamblea Nacional): elections last held 25 February1990 (next to be held November 1996); results - UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%,PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats - (92 total) UNO 41, FSLN 39, "Centrist"(Dissident UNO) 12
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:far right: Liberal Constitutionalist Party* (PLC), Arnold ALEMAN;Conservative Popular Alliance Party (APC), Myriam ARGUELLO; CentralAmerican Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS Echaverry; IndependentLiberal Party for National Unity (PLUIN), Alfonso MOCADO Guillen;Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCN - formed in 1992 by the merger ofthe Conservative Social Party (PSC) with the Democratic ConservativeParty (PCD) and PCL, the Conservative party of Labor), FernandoAGUERO; National Justice Party (PJN), Jorge DIAZ Cruz; NationalConservative Party* (PNC), Adolfo CALEROcenter right: Neoliberal Party* (PALI), Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel;National Action Party* (PAN), Delvis MONTIEL; Independent LiberalParty* (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARROcenter left: Christian Democratic Union (UDC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN;Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; Social DemocraticParty (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR),Pablo HERNANDEZ; Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ;Democratic Action Movement (MAD), Eden PASTORA; Communist Party ofNicaragua* (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO Perezfar left: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA;Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Popular ActionMovement-Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ; NicaraguanSocialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA; Unidad Nicaraguense deObreros, Campesinos, y Profesionales (UNOCP), Rosalio GONZALEZ Urbinanote: parties marked with an asterisk belong to the NationalOpposition Union (UNO), an alliance of moderate parties, which,however, does not always follow a unified political agenda
Other political or pressure groups: National Workers Front (FNT) is aSandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: Sandinista Workers'Central (CST); Farm Workers Association (ATC); Health WorkersFederation (FETASALUD); National Union of Employees (UNE); NationalAssociation of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN); Union of Journalists ofNicaragua (UPN); Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of ProfessionalAssociations (CONAPRO); and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers(UNAG); Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group offour non-Sandinista labor unions: Confederation of Labor Unification(CUS); Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A); IndependentGeneral Confederation of Labor (CGT-I); and Labor Action and UnityCentral (CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independentlabor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is aconfederation of business groups
Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto Genaro MAYORGA Cortes chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John F. MAISTO embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua mailing address: APO AA 34021 telephone: [505] (2) 666010, 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34 FAX: [505] (2) 666046
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
@Nicaragua:Economy
Overview: Since March 1991, when President CHAMORRO began an ambitious economic stabilization program, Nicaragua has had considerable success in reducing inflation and obtaining substantial economic aid from abroad. Annual inflation fell from more than 750% in 1991 to less than 5% in 1992. Inflation rose again to an estimated 20% in 1993, although this increase was due almost entirely to a large currency devaluation in January. As of early 1994, the government was close to finalizing an enhanced structural adjustment facility with the IMF, after the previous standby facility expired in early 1993. Despite these successes, achieving overall economic growth in an economy scarred by misguided economic values and civil war during the 1980s has proved elusive. Economic growth was flat in 1992 and slightly negative in 1993. Nicaragua's per capita foreign debt is one of the highest in the world; nonetheless, as of late 1993, Nicaragua was current on its post-1988 debt as well as on payments to the international financial institutions. Definition of property rights remains a problem; ownership disputes over large tracts of land, businesses, and homes confiscated by the previous government have yet to be resolved. A rise in exports of coffee and other products led growth in 1994.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,570 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.5% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21.8%; underemployment 50% (1993)
Budget:revenues: $375 million (1992)expenditures: $410 million (1992), including capital expenditures of$115 million (1991 est.)
Exports: $329 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)commodities: meat, coffee, cotton, sugar, seafood, gold, bananaspartners: US, Central America, Canada, Germany
Imports: $786 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, petroleumproductspartners: Central America, US, Venezuela, Japan
External debt: $11 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate -0.8% (1993 est.); accounts for 26% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 460,000 kW production: 1.6 billion kWh consumption per capita: 376 kWh (1993)
Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture: crops account for about 15% of GDP; export crops - coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; also produces a variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; normally self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US
Economic aid:recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-92), $620 million;Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments(1970-89), $1.381 billion
Currency: 1 gold cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: gold cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 7.08 (December 1994), 6.72 (1994), 5.62 (1993), 5.00 (1992); note - gold cordoba replaced cordoba as Nicaragua's currency in 1991 (exchange rate of old cordoba had reached per US$1 - 25,000,000 by March 1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Nicaragua:Transportation
Railroads:total: 376 km; note - majority of system is nonoperationalstandard gauge: 3 km 1.435-m gauge line at Puerto Cabezas; note - doesnot connect with mainlinenarrow gauge: 373 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:total: 15,286 kmpaved: 1,598 kmunpaved: 13,688 kmnote: there is a 368.5 km portion of the Pan-American Highway which isnot in the total
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines: crude oil 56 km
Ports: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino,Rama, San Juan del Sur
Merchant marine: none
Airports:total: 198with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3with paved runways under 914 m: 149with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 39
@Nicaragua:Communications
Telephone system: 60,000 telephones; low-capacity radio relay and wiresystem being expanded; connection into Central American MicrowaveSystemlocal: NAintercity: wire and radio relayinternational: 1 Intersputnik and 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earthstation
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 45, FM 0, shortwave 3radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 7televisions: NA
@Nicaragua:Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force note: total strength of all branches - 14,500
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 982,345; males fit for military service 604,721; males reach military age (18) annually 47,064 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $32 million, 1.7% ofGDP (1994), 8.1% of government budget
________________________________________________________________________
@Niger:Geography
Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Map references: Africa
Area:total area: 1.267 million sq kmland area: 1,266,700 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total 5,697 km, Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 2% other: 88%
Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation;desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus,and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destructionnatural hazards: recurring droughtsinternational agreements: party to - Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked
@Niger:People
Population: 9,280,208 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 49% (female 2,275,338; male 2,275,999)15-64 years: 49% (female 2,314,857; male 2,188,938)65 years and over: 2% (female 107,432; male 117,644) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.4% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 54.8 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 20.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 109.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 45.07 years male: 43.42 years female: 46.77 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.35 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:noun: Nigerien(s)adjective: Nigerien
Ethnic divisions: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, BeriBeri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 4,000French expatriates
Religions: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1988)total population: 11%male: 17%female: 5%
Labor force: 2.5 million wage earners (1982) by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
@Niger:Government
Names:conventional long form: Republic of Nigerconventional short form: Nigerlocal long form: Republique du Nigerlocal short form: Niger
Digraph: NG
Type: republic
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution: approved by national referendum 16 December 1992;promulgated January 1993
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; hasnot accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993);election last held 17 March 1993 (next to be held NA February 1998)head of government: Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 21 February1995)cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of theprime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: elected by proportional representation for 5 year terms; elections last held 12 January 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 total) MNSD-NASSARA 29, CDS 24, PNDS 12, ANDP-Z 9, UDFP 3, UDPS 2, PADN 2, PPN-RDA 1, UPDP 1
Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Courd'Apel)
Political parties and leaders: National Movement of the DevelopmentSociety (MNSD-NASSARA), Mamadou TANDJA, chairman; Democratic andSocial Convention (CDS), Jacoub SANOUSSI; Nigerien Party for Democracyand Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou ISSOUFOU; Nigerien Alliance forDemocracy and Progress-Zamanlahia (ANDP-Z), Moumouni AdamouDJERMAKOYE; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba(UDFP), Djibo BAKARY, chairman; Union for Democracy and SocialProgress (UDPS), Akoli DAOUEL; Niger Social Democrat Party (PADN),Malam Adji WAZIRI; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally(PPN-RDA), Dori ABDOULAI, chairman; Union of Patriots, Democrats, andProgressives (UPDP), Professor Andre SALIFOU, chairman