Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arabminority, English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 95%male: 97%female: 93% (1992 est.)
Government
Country name:conventional long form: State of Israelconventional short form: Israellocal long form: Medinat Yisra'ellocal short form: Yisra'el
Data code: IS
Government type: republic
Capital: Jerusalemnote: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but theUS, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in TelAviv
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular—mehoz);Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate underBritish administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May 1948; note—Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of aconstitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948),the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israelicitizenship law
Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandateregulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslimlegal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariatthat it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993)head of government: Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU (since 18 June1996)cabinet: Cabinet selected from and approved by the Knessetelections: president elected by the Knesset for a five-year term;election last held 4 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003);prime minister elected by popular vote for a four-year term;election last held 29 May 1996 (early elections are scheduled for 17May 1999); note—in March 1992, the Knesset approved legislation,effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct election of theprime minister; under the new law, each voter casts two ballots—onefor the direct election of the prime minister and one for the partyin the Knesset; the candidate that receives the largest percentageof the popular vote then works to form a coalition with otherparties to achieve a parliamentary majority of 61 seats; finally,the candidate must submit his or her cabinet to the Knesset forapproval and this must be done within 45 days of the election; incontrast to the old system, under the new law, the prime minister'sparty need not be the single-largest party in the Knessetelection results: Ezer WEIZMAN reelected president by the Knessetwith a total of 63 votes, other candidate, Shaul AMOR, received 49votes (there were seven abstentions and one absence); BinyaminNETANYAHU elected prime minister; percent of vote—Binyamin NETANYAHU50.4%, Shimon PERES 49.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats;members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 29 May 1996 (early elections are scheduled for17 May 1999)election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—LaborParty 34, Likud Party 32, SHAS 10, MERETZ 9, National ReligiousParty 9, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 7, Hadash-Balad 5, Third Way 4, UnitedArab List 4, United Jewish Torah 4, Moledet 2; note—Likud, Tzomet,and Gesher candidates ran on a joint list
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, appointed for life by thepresident
Political parties and leaders:
Political pressure groups and leaders: Gush Emunim, Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and is critical of government's Lebanon policy
International organization participation: BSEC (observer), CCC,CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner),PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr. embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv mailing address: PSC 98, Unit 7228, APO AE 09830 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note—an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Flag description: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Economy
Economy—overview: Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Manufacturing and construction employ about 28% of Israeli workers; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%; and services the rest. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR topped 750,000 during the period 1989-98, bringing the population of Israel from the former Soviet Union to one million, one-sixth of the total population and adding scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the economy's future. The influx, coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began slowing in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$101.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 1.9% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$18,100 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 17% services: 81% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 26.9% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 2.3 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: public services 31.2%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%, commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services 6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (1998 est.)
Budget:revenues: $55 billionexpenditures: $58 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(1998 est.)
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing,textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment,transport equipment, electrical equipment, potash mining,high-technology electronics, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (1996)
Electricity—production: 28.035 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 99.88% hydro: 0.12% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 27.725 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 310 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Exports: $22.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds,chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
Exports—partners: US 32%, UK, Hong Kong, Benelux, Japan,Netherlands (1997)
Imports: $26.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: raw materials, military equipment,investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, consumer goods
Imports—partners: US 19%, Benelux 12%, Germany 9%, UK 8%, Italy7%, Switzerland 6% (1997)
Debt—external: $18.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid—recipient: $1.241 billion (1994); note?$1.2 billion from the US (1997)
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—4.2269 (November 1998), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Communications
Telephones: 2.6 million (1996)
Telephone system: most highly developed system in the Middle Eastalthough not the largestdomestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relayinternational: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—3Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0
Radios: 2.25 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 24 (in addition, there are 31 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.5 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 610 km standard gauge: 610 km 1.435-m gauge (1996)
Highways:total: 15,464 kmpaved: 15,464 km (including 56 km of expressways)unpaved: 0 km (1997 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; naturalgas 89 km
Ports and harbors: Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa,Tel Aviv-Yafo
Merchant marine:total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 736,419 GRT/855,497 DWTships by type: cargo 1, container 21, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998est.)
Airports: 54 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 31 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 7 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 18 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Israel Defense Forces (includes ground, naval, and air components), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal), Frontier Guard, Chen (women); note—historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 1,474,046females age 15-49: 1,439,569 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 1,206,320females age 15-49: 1,173,818 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:males: 50,737females: 48,546 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $8.7 billion (1999)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 9.5% (1999)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: West Bank and Gaza Strip areIsraeli-occupied with current status subject to theIsraeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement—permanent status to bedetermined through further negotiation; Golan Heights isIsraeli-occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982
Illicit drugs: increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroinabuse; drugs primarily arrive in country from Lebanon
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@Italy ——-
Introduction
Background: Italy failed to secure political unification until the 1860s, thus lacking the military and imperial power of Spain, Britain, and France. The fascist dictatorship of MUSSOLINI after World War I, led to the disastrous alliance with HITLER's Germany and defeat in World War II. Italy was a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined in the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999. On-going problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of organized crime, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of Southern Italy compared with the North.
Geography
Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the centralMediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map references: Europe
Area:total: 301,230 sq kmland: 294,020 sq kmwater: 7,210 sq kmnote: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Area—comparative: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:total: 1,932.2 kmborder countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (VaticanCity) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline: 7,600 km
Maritime claims:continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot,dry in south
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastallowlands
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) 4,807 m
Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindlingnatural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Land use:arable land: 31%permanent crops: 10%permanent pastures: 15%forests and woodland: 23%other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 27,100 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Environment—current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
Environment—international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, AirPollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-EnvironmentalProtocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, TropicalTimber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note: strategic location dominating centralMediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to WesternEurope
People
Population: 56,735,130 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 14% (male 4,161,841; female 3,925,413)15-64 years: 68% (male 19,205,293; female 19,285,848)65 years and over: 18% (male 4,169,098; female 5,987,637) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.08% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.27 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 10.28 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.51 years male: 75.4 years female: 81.82 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:noun: Italian(s)adjective: Italian
Ethnic groups: Italian (includes small clusters of German-,French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians andGreek-Italians in the south)
Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Languages: Italian, German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 97%male: 98%female: 96% (1990 est.)
Government
Country name:conventional long form: Italian Republicconventional short form: Italylocal long form: Repubblica Italianalocal short form: Italiaformer: Kingdom of Italy
Data code: IT
Government type: republic
Capital: Rome
Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular—regione);Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna,Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise,Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige,Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution: 1 January 1948
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorialelections, where minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:chief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as thepresident of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 27October 1998)cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister andapproved by the presidentelections: president elected by an electoral college consisting ofboth houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for aseven-year term; election last held 25 May 1992 (next to be held NAJune 1999); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmedby parliamentelection results: Oscar Luigi SCALFARO elected president; percent ofelectoral college vote—NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consistsof the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (326 seats—315 elected bypopular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected byregional proportional representation, 11 are appointedsenators-for-life; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber ofDeputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directlyelected, 155 by regional proportional representation; members servefive-year terms)elections: Senate—last held 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NAApril 2001); Chamber of Deputies—last held 21 April 1996 (next to beheld by NA April 2001)election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats byparty—Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27,Refounded Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-TricolorFlames 1, Panella Reformers 1; Chamber of Deputies—percent of voteby party—NA; seats by party—Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246,Northern League 59, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 3,Autonomous List 2, other 1
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale,composed of 15 judges (one-third appointed by the president,one-third elected by Parliament, one-third elected by the ordinaryand administrative supreme courts)
Political parties and leaders:MARINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Roman Catholic Church;three major trade union confederations (Confederazione GeneraleD'ANTONI] which is Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoromanufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,Confagricoltura)
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, AustraliaGroup, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN,EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G-10, IADB,IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and 2700 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. FOGLIETTAembassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Romemailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoistside), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which islonger and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar tothe flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed—orange(hoist side), white, and green
Economy
Economy—overview: Since World War II, the Italian economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This basically capitalistic economy is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with large public enterprises and more than 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in EU plans for economic and monetary union later in the decade; thus, it finally began to address its huge fiscal imbalances. Subsequently, the government has adopted fairly stringent budgets, abandoned its inflationary wage indexation system, and started to scale back its generous social welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. In December 1998, Italy adopted a budget compliant with the requirements of the European Monetary Union (EMU); representatives of government, labor, and employers agreed to an update of the 1993 "social pact," which has been widely credited with having brought Italy's inflation into conformity with EMU requirements. In 1999, Italy must adjust to the loss of an independent monetary policy, which it has used quite liberally in the past to help cope with external shocks. Italy also must work to stimulate employment, promote wage flexibility, and tackle the informal economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.181 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 1.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$20,800 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3% industry: 33% services: 63.7% (1994)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 23.7% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 23.193 million
Labor force—by occupation: services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 12.5% (1998 est.)
Budget:revenues: $559 billionexpenditures: $589 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(1998 est.)
Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, foodprocessing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1996 est.)
Electricity—production: 226.707 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 80.02% hydro: 18.25% nuclear: 0% other: 1.73%
Electricity—consumption: 264.007 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 800 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 38.1 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Exports: $243 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals
Exports—partners: Germany 16.4%, France 12.2%, US 7.9%, UK 7.1%,Spain 5.2%, Netherlands 2.8% (1997)
Imports: $202 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco
Imports—partners: Germany 18.0%, France 13.2%, UK 6.7%,Netherlands 6.2%, US 5.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4.7% (1997)
Debt—external: $45 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid—donor: ODA, $1.6 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1—1,688.7 (January1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9(1995), 1,612.4 (1994)note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a commoncurrency that is now being used by financial institutions in somemember countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixedrate of 1,936.27 lire per euro; the euro will replace the localcurrency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 25.6 million (1996 est.)
Telephone system: modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks international: satellite earth stations—3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas—3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 135, FM 28 (repeaters 1,840), shortwave 0
Radios: 45.7 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 6,317 (consisting of 117 public stations with two kW of power or more, about 5,300 low-power public stations, and about 900 low-power private stations, mostly in local service) (1997)
Televisions: 17 million (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways:total: 19,272 kmstandard gauge: 17,983 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS)operates 15,942 km of the total standard gauge routes (10,889 kmelectrified)narrow gauge: 112 km 1.000-m gauge (112 km electrified); 1,177 km0.950-m gauge (19 km electrified) (1996)
Highways:total: 317,000 kmpaved: 317,000 km (including 9,500 km of expressways)unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic,although of limited overall value
Pipelines: crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km;natural gas 19,400 km
Ports and harbors: Augusta (Sicily), Bagnoli, Bari, Brindisi,Gela, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Milazzo, Naples, Porto Foxi, PortoTorres (Sardinia), Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine:total: 393 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,982,870GRT/8,413,850 DWTships by type: bulk 38, cargo 46, chemical tanker 60, combinationore/oil 2, container 16, liquefied gas tanker 35, livestock carrier1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 84, passenger 6,roll-on/roll-off cargo 53, short-sea passenger 28, specializedtanker 12, vehicle carrier 11 (1998 est.)
Airports: 136 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 97 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 12 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 18 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 14,142,889 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 12,200,780 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:males: 315,952 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $21.095 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.9% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: Italy and Slovenia made progress in resolving bilateral issues; Croatia and Italy made progress toward resolving a bilateral issue dating from World War II over property and ethnic minority rights
Illicit drugs: important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market
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@Jamaica ———-
Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total: 10,990 sq kmland: 10,830 sq kmwater: 160 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,022 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:arable land: 14%permanent crops: 6%permanent pastures: 24%forests and woodland: 17%other: 39% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment—current issues: deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note: strategic location between Cayman Trench andJamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
People
Population: 2,652,443 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 31% (male 421,127; female 402,593)15-64 years: 62% (male 819,956; female 828,176)65 years and over: 7% (male 79,747; female 100,844) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.64% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 20.22 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.62 years male: 73.22 years female: 78.13 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.26 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic groups: black 90.4%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.6%
Religions: Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%
Languages: English, Creole
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over has ever attended schooltotal population: 85%male: 80.8%female: 89.1% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica
Data code: JM
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Kingston
Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover,Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, SaintCatherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas,Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)
Constitution: 6 August 1962
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1August 1991)head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA1993)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice ofthe prime ministerelections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor generalappointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the primeminister; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by thegovernor general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party 13 seats, opposition eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PNP 50, JLP 10
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party or PNP [P.
Political pressure groups and leaders: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement or NBM
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC,CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO,Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNALchancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Louis MCLELLANDembassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor,Kingstonmailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
Economy
Economy—overview: Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and tourism. Since assuming office in 1992, Prime Minister PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Continued tight monetary and fiscal policies have helped slow inflation—although inflationary pressures are mounting—and stabilize the exchange rate, but have resulted in the slowdown of economic growth (moving from 1.5% in 1992 to 0.5% in 1995). In 1996, GDP showed negative growth (-1.4%) and remained negative through 1998. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; the weak financial condition of business in general resulting in receiverships or closures and downsizings of companies; the shift in investment portfolios to non-productive, short-term high yield instruments; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt for government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment in the productive sectors, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, stabilizing the labor environment, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$8.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: -2% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,300 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 7.4% industry: 42.1% services: 50.5% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 34.2% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 31.9% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.9% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.14 million (1996)
Labor force—by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 16.5% (1997 est.)
Budget:revenues: $2.27 billionexpenditures: $3.66 billion, including capital expenditures of$1.265 billion (FY98/99 est.)
Industries: tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, lightmanufactures
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 6.125 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 97.96% hydro: 2.04% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 6.125 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk
Exports: $1.7 billion (1997)
Exports—commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
Exports—partners: US 33.3%, EU (excluding UK and Norway) 17.1%,Canada 14.1%, UK 13.4%, Norway 6.1%, Caricom 3.4%
Imports: $2.8 billion (1997)
Imports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment,construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals
Imports—partners: US 47.7%, EU (excluding UK) 12.8%, Caricom10.2%, Latin America 6.7%, UK 3.7% (1997)
Debt—external: $4.2 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $102.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1—35.57 (December 1998), 35.404 (1997), 37.120 (1996), 35.142 (1995), 33.086 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 350,000 (1997 est.)
Telephone system: fully automatic domestic telephone networkdomestic: NAinternational: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);3 coaxial submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1997)
Radios: 1.973 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 7 (1997)
Televisions: 330,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:total: 370 kmstandard gauge: 370 km 1.435-m gauge; note—207 km belong to theJamaica Railway Corporation in common carrier service, but are nolonger operational; the remaining track is privately owned and usedto transport bauxite
Highways: total: 18,700 km paved: 13,100 km unpaved: 5,600 km (1997 est.)
Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km
Ports and harbors: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston,Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel(Longswharf)
Merchant marine:total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,478 GRT/5,878 DWTships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 36 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 23 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Ground Forces,Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 715,260 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 503,667 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:males: 26,108 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $47.9 million (FY97/98 est.)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program
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@Jan Mayen ————-
Geography
Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates: 71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references: Arctic Region
Area:total: 373 sq kmland: 373 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly more than twice the size ofWashington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 124.1 km
Maritime claims:contiguous zone: 10 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:arable land: 0%permanent crops: 0%permanent pastures: 0%forests and woodland: 0%other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: dominated by the volcano Haakon VIIToppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography—note: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there are personnel who operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran) C base and the weather and coastal services radio station
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Data code: JN
Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered from Oslo through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Norway)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Norway)
Flag description: the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Economy—overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Communications
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: radio and meteorological station
Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:total: 1914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military—note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
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@Japan ——-
Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North PacificOcean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:total: 377,835 sq kmland: 374,744 sq kmwater: 3,091 sq kmnote: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), andVolcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims:exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the internationalstraits—La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and WesternChannels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use:arable land: 11%permanent crops: 1%permanent pastures: 2%forests and woodland: 67%other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 27,820 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis
Environment—current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment—international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note: strategic location in northeast Asia
People
Population: 126,182,077 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 15% (male 9,697,851; female 9,242,027)15-64 years: 68% (male 43,405,024; female 43,023,885)65 years and over: 17% (male 8,686,347; female 12,126,943) (1999est.)
Population growth rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 10.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.12 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.11 years male: 77.02 years female: 83.35 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:noun: Japanese (singular and plural)adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Languages: Japanese
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99% (1970 est.)male: NA%female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan
Data code: JA
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Tokyo
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori,Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima,Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima,Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano,Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga,Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo,Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)head of government: Prime Minister Keizo OBUCHI (since 30 July 1998)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime ministerelections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates theprime minister; the constitution requires that the prime ministermust command a parliamentary majority, therefore, followinglegislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader ofa majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomesprime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (252 seats; one-half of the members elected every three years—76 seats of which are elected from the 47 multi-seat prefectural districts and 50 of which are elected from a single nationwide list with voters casting ballots by party; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (500 seats—200 of which are elected from 11 regional blocks on a proportional representation basis and 300 of which are elected from 300 single-seat districts; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Councillors—last held 12 July 1998 (next to be held NA July 2001); House of Representatives—last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held by October 2000) election results: House of Councillors—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—LDP 102, DPJ 47, JCP 23, Komeito 22, SDP 13, Liberal Party 12, independents 26, others 7; note—the distribution of seats as of January 1999 is as follows—LDP 104, DPJ 56, Komeito 24, JCP 23, SDP 14, Liberal Party 12, independents 5, others 14; House of Representatives—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—LDP 240, NFP 142, DPJ 52, JCP 26, SDP 15, Sun Party 10, others 15; note—the distribution of seats as of January 1999 is as follows—LDP 266, DPJ 94, Komeito/Reform Club 52, Liberal Party 39, JCP 26, SDP 14, independents 5, others 4