Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km;natural gas 6,400 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina,Tulcea
Merchant marine:total: 199 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,996,157GRT/2,917,895 DWTships by type: bulk 35, cargo 141, container 2, oil tanker 7,passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-offcargo 9, specialized tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 27 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:total: 21over 3,047 m: 42,438 to 3,047 m: 61,524 to 2,437 m: 11 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:total: 61,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 3under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces,Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 5,876,912 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 4,938,953 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:males: 193,264 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $650 million (1996)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.5% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: dispute with Ukraine over continental shelf of the Black Sea under which significant gas and oil deposits may exist; agreed in 1997 to two-year negotiating period, after which either party can refer dispute to the International Court of Justice
Illicit drugs: important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe
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@Russia ———
Introduction
Background: Russia, a vast Eurasian expanse of field, forest, desert, and tundra, has endured many "times of trouble"—the Mongol rule of the 13th to 15th century; czarist reigns of terror; massive invasions by Swedes, French, and Germans; and the deadly communist period (1917-91) in which Russia dominated an immense Soviet Union. General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV, in charge during 1985-91, introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism, but also inadvertently released forces that shattered the USSR into 15 independent republics in December 1991. Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the communist period. These reform efforts have resulted in contradictory and confusing economic and political regulations and practices. Industry, agriculture, the military, the central government, and the ruble have suffered, but Russia has successfully held one presidential, two legislative, and numerous regional elections since 1991. The severe illnesses of President Boris YEL'TSIN have contributed to a lack of policy focus at the center.
Geography
Location: Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:total: 17,075,200 sq kmland: 16,995,800 sq kmwater: 79,400 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly less than 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries:total: 19,917 kmborder countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China(southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km,Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441km, Norway 167 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576km
Coastline: 37,653 km
Maritime claims:continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vastconiferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains alongsouthern border regions
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 mhighest point: Mount El'brus 5,633 m
Natural resources: wide natural resource base including majordeposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals,timbernote: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinderexploitation of natural resources
Land use:arable land: 8%permanent crops: 0%permanent pastures: 4%forests and woodland: 46%other: 42% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula
Environment—current issues: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination
Environment—international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, AntarcticTreaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, ClimateChange-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note: largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture
People
Population: 146,393,569 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 19% (male 14,224,033; female 13,666,440)15-64 years: 68% (male 48,407,409; female 51,768,664)65 years and over: 13% (male 5,698,356; female 12,628,667) (1999est.)
Population growth rate: -0.33% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.64 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 14.96 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.45 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.88 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.12 years male: 58.83 years female: 71.72 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian
Ethnic groups: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Byelorussian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Languages: Russian, other
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 98%male: 100%female: 97% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name:conventional long form: Russian Federationconventional short form: Russialocal long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiyalocal short form: Rossiyaformer: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Data code: RS
Government type: federation
Capital: Moscow
Administrative divisions: oblasts (oblastey, singular—oblast'), 21 autonomous republics* (avtonomnyk respublik, singular—avtonomnaya respublika), 10 autonomous okrugs**(avtonomnykh okrugov, singular—avtonomnyy okrug), 6 krays*** (krayev, singular—kray), 2 federal cities (singular—gorod)****, and 1 autonomous oblast*****(avtonomnaya oblast'); Adygeya (Maykop)*, Aginskiy Buryatskiy (Aginskoye)**, Altay (Gorno-Altaysk)*, Altayskiy (Barnaul)***, Amurskaya (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'skaya, Astrakhanskaya, Bashkortostan (Ufa)*, Belgorodskaya, Bryanskaya, Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude)*, Chechnya (Groznyy)*, Chelyabinskaya, Chitinskaya, Chukotskiy (Anadyr')**, Chuvashiya (Cheboksary)*, Dagestan (Makhachkala)*, Evenkiyskiy (Tura)**, Ingushetiya (Nazran')*, Irkutskaya, Ivanovskaya, Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik)*, Kaliningradskaya, Kalmykiya (Elista)*, Kaluzkskaya, Kamchatskaya (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk)*, Kareliya (Petrozavodsk)*, Kemerovskaya, Khabarovskiy***, Khakasiya (Abakan)*, Khanty-Mansiyskiy (Khanty-Mansiysk)**, Kirovskaya, Komi (Syktyvkar)*, Koryakskiy (Palana)**, Kostromskaya, Krasnodarskiy***, Krasnoyarskiy***, Kurganskaya, Kurskaya, Leningradskaya, Lipetskaya, Magadanskaya, Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola)*, Mordoviya (Saransk)*, Moskovskaya, Moskva (Moscow)****, Murmanskaya, Nenetskiy (Nar'yan-Mar)**, Nizhegorodskaya, Novgorodskaya, Novosibirskaya, Omskaya, Orenburgskaya, Orlovskaya (Orel), Penzenskaya, Permskaya, Komi-Permyatskiy (Kudymkar)**, Primorskiy (Vladivostok)***, Pskovskaya, Rostovskaya, Ryazanskaya, Sakha (Yakutsk)*, Sakhalinskaya (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samarskaya, Sankt-Peterburg (Saint Petersburg)****, Saratovskaya, Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya (Vladikavkaz)*, Smolenskaya, Stavropol'skiy***, Sverdlovskaya (Yekaterinburg), Tambovskaya, Tatarstan (Kazan')*, Taymyrskiy (Dudinka)**, Tomskaya, Tul'skaya, Tverskaya, Tyumenskaya, Tyva (Kyzyl)*, Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)*, Ul'yanovskaya, Ust'-Ordynskiy Buryatskiy (Ust'-Ordynskiy)**, Vladimirskaya, Volgogradskaya, Vologodskaya, Voronezhskaya, Yamalo-Nenetskiy (Salekhard)**, Yaroslavskaya, Yevreyskaya*****; note—when using a place name with an adjectival ending 'skaya' or 'skiy,' the word Oblast' or Avonomnyy Okrug or Kray should be added to the place name note: the autonomous republics of Chechnya and Ingushetiya were formerly the autonomous republic of Checheno-Ingushetia (the boundary between Chechnya and Ingushetia has yet to be determined); administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, June 12 (1990)
Constitution: adopted 12 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Boris Nikolayevich YEL'TSIN (since 12 June1991)head of government: Premier Yevgeniy Maksimovich PRIMAKOV (since 11September 1998), First Deputy Premiers Yuriy Dmitriyevich MASLYUKOV(since 11 September 1998) and Vadim Anatol'yevich GUSTOV (since 11September 1998); Deputy Premiers Vladimir Broisovich BULGAK (since11 September 1998), Gennadiy Vasil'yevich KULIK (since 11 September1998), and Valentin Ivanovna MATVIYENKO (since 11 September 1998)cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed ofthe premier and his deputies, ministers, and other agency heads; allare appointed by the presidentnote: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that providesstaff and policy support to the president, drafts presidentialdecrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; aSecurity Council also reports directly to the presidentelections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;election last held 16 June 1996 with runoff election on 3 July 1996(next to be held NA June 2000); note—no vice president; if thepresident dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of illhealth, is impeached, or resigns, the premier succeeds him; thepremier serves as acting president until a new presidential electionis held, which must be within three months; premier and deputypremiers appointed by the president with the approval of the Dumaelection results: Boris Nikolayevich YEL'TSIN elected president;percent of vote in runoff—YEL'TSIN 54%, Gennadiy AndreyevichZYUGANOV 40%
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Federal'noyeSobraniye consists of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii(178 seats, filled ex-officio by the top executive and legislativeofficials in each of the 89 federal administrative units—oblasts,krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federalcities of Moscow and St. Petersburg; members serve four-year terms)and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats, half electedin single-member districts and half elected from national partylists; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-yearterms)elections: State Duma—last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NADecember 1999)election results: State Duma—percent of vote received by partiesclearing the 5% threshold entitling them to a proportional share ofthe 225 party list seats—Communist Party of the Russian Federation22.3%, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia 11.2%, Our Home Is Russia10.1%, Yabloko Bloc 6.9%; seats by party—Communist Party of theRussian Federation 157, independents 78, Our Home Is Russia 55,Liberal Democratic Party of Russia 51, Yabloko Bloc 45, AgrarianParty of Russia 20, Russia's Democratic Choice 9, Power To thePeople 9, Congress of Russian Communities 5, Forward, Russia! 3,Women of Russia 3, other parties 15
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, judges are appointed forlife by the Federation Council on the recommendation of thepresident; Supreme Court, judges are appointed for life by theFederation Council on the recommendation of the president; SuperiorCourt of Arbitration, judges are appointed for life by theFederation Council on the recommendation of the president
Political parties and leaders:YAVLINSKIY]; Pravoye Delo (Just Cause), a coalition of reformist,Borisovich CHUBAYS, Boris Yefimovich NEMTSOV, Sergey VladlenovichKIRIYENKO]anti-market and/or ultranationalist: Communist Party of the RussianBARKASHOV]note: some 150 political parties, blocs, and movements registeredwith the Justice Ministry as of the 19 December 1998 deadline to beeligible to participate in the scheduled December 1999 Dumaelections; in 1995, 43 political organizations qualified to runslates of candidates on the Duma party list ballot; among theparties not listed above but holding seats in the Duma were Russia'sDemocratic Choice, Power To the People, Congress of RussianCommunities, Forward, Russia!, and Women of Russia
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: APEC, BIS, BSEC, CBSS,CCC, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO,MONUA, MTCR, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNSecurity Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR,UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yuliy Mikhaylovich VORONTSOV chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James F. COLLINS embassy: Novinskiy Bul'var 19/23, Moscow mailing address: APO AE 09721 consulate(s) general: St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
Economy
Economy—overview: Seven years after the collapse of the USSR, Russia is still struggling to establish a modern market economy and achieve strong economic growth. Russian GDP has contracted an estimated 43% since 1991, including a 5% drop in 1998, despite the country's wealth of natural resources, its well-educated population, and its diverse—although increasingly dilapidated—industrial base. By the end of 1997, Russia had achieved some progress. Inflation had been brought under control, the ruble was stabilized, and an ambitious privatization program had transferred thousands of enterprises to private ownership. Some important market-oriented laws were also passed, including a commercial code governing business relations and an arbitration court for resolving economic disputes. But in 1998, the Asian financial crisis swept through the country, contributing to a sharp decline in russia's earnings from oil exports and resulting in an exodus of foreign investors. Matters came to a head in August 1998 when the government allowed the ruble to fall precipitously and stopped payment on $40 billion in ruble bonds. Ongoing problems include an undeveloped legal and financial system, poor progress on restructuring the military-industrial complex, and persistently large budget deficits, largely reflecting the inability of successive governments to collect sufficient taxes. Russia's transition to a market economy has also been slowed by the growing prevalence of payment arrears and barter and by widespread corruption. The severity of Russia's economic problems is dramatized by the large annual decline in population, estimated by some observers at 800,000 people, caused by environmental hazards, the decline in health care, and the unwillingness of people to have children.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$593.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$4,000 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 39% services: 54% (1997)
Population below poverty line: 28.6% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 3%highest 10%: 22.2% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 84% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 66 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (1998 est.) with considerable additionalunderemployment
Budget:revenues: $40 billionexpenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(1998 est.)
Industries: complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: -5.5% (1998 est.)
Electricity—production: 834 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 68.14% hydro: 19% nuclear: 12.82% other: 0.04% (1997)
Electricity—consumption: 788.036 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 24.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 6.6 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Exports: $71.8 billion (1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
Exports—partners: Ukraine, Germany, US, Belarus, other Western and less developed countries
Imports: $58.5 billion (1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods,medicines, meat, grain, sugar, semifinished metal products
Imports—partners: Europe, North America, Japan, and lessdeveloped countries
Debt—external: $164 billion (yearend 1998)
Economic aid—recipient: $8.523 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks
Exchange rates: rubles per US$1—22.2876 (January 1999), 9.7051 (1998), 5,785 (1997), 5,121 (1996), 4,559 (1995), 2,191 (1994) note: the post-1 January 1998 ruble is equal to 1,000 of the pre-1 January 1998 rubles
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 23.8 million (1997 est.)
Telephone system: the telephone system has undergone significantchanges in the 1990's; there are more than 1,000 companies licensedto offer communication services; access to digital lines hasimproved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mailservices are improving; Russia has made progress toward building thetelecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economydomestic: cross country digital trunk lines run from St. Petersburgto Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephonesystems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures;cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in manyareas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated,inadequate, and low densityinternational: Russia is connected internationally by three underseafiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide morethan 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stationsprovide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, andOrbita
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note—there are about 1,050 (including AM, FM, and shortwave) radio broadcast stations throughout the country
Radios: 50 million (1993 est.) (74.3 million radio receivers with multiple speaker systems for program diffusion)
Television broadcast stations: 11,000 (1996 est.)
Televisions: 54.85 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:total: 150,000 km; note—87,000 km in common carrier service; 63,000km serve specific industries and are not available for commoncarrier usebroad gauge: 150,000 km 1.520-m gauge (January 1997 est.)
Highways:total: 948,000 km (including 416,000 km which serve specificindustries or farms and are not maintained by governmental highwaymaintenance departments)paved: 336,000 kmunpaved: 612,000 km (including 411,000 km of graveled or some otherform of surfacing and 201,000 km of unstabilized earth) (1995 est.)
Waterways: total navigable routes in general use 101,000 km; routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet 95,900 km; routes with night navigational aids 60,400 km; man-made navigable routes 16,900 km (January 1994 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 48,000 km; petroleum products 15,000 km;natural gas 140,000 km (June 1993 est.)
Ports and harbors: Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Kaliningrad, Kazan',Khabarovsk, Kholmsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Murmansk, Nakhodka,Nevel'sk, Novorossiysk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, St. Petersburg,Rostov, Sochi, Tuapse, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Vostochnyy, Vyborg
Merchant marine:total: 617 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,146,329GRT/5,278,909 DWTships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 19, cargo 309, combination bulk21, combination ore/oil 6, container 25, multifunction large-loadcarrier 1, oil tanker 149, passenger 35, passenger-cargo 3,refrigerated cargo 16, roll-on/roll-off cargo 25, short-seapassenger 7 (1998 est.)
Airports: 2,517 (1994 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:total: 630over 3,047 m: 542,438 to 3,047 m: 2021,524 to 2,437 m: 108914 to 1,523 m: 115under 914 m: 151 (1994 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:total: 1,887over 3,047 m: 252,438 to 3,047 m: 451,524 to 2,437 m: 134914 to 1,523 m: 291under 914 m: 1,392 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Forces, StrategicRocket Forcesnote: the Air Defense Force merged into the Air Force in March 1998
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 38,665,138 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 30,173,495 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:males: 1,149,536 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $NA note: the Intelligence Community estimates that defense spending in Russia fell by about 10% in real terms in 1996, reducing Russian defense outlays to about one-sixth of peak Soviet levels in the late 1980s (1997 est.)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: dispute over at least two small sections of the boundary with China remain to be settled, despite 1997 boundary agreement; islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan; Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a technical border agreement in December 1996 which has not been ratified; draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Latvia has not been signed; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; 1997 border agreement with Lithuania not yet ratified; Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of amphetamines, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian opiates and cannabis and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe, possibly to the US, and growing domestic market
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@Rwanda ———
Introduction
Background: Throughout their colonial rule, first Germany and then Belgium favored Rwanda's minority Tutsi ethnic group in education and employment. In 1959, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi monarch. The Hutus killed hundreds of Tutsis and drove tens of thousands into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in October 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exasperated ethnic tensions culminating in April 1994 in a genocide in which roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the genocide in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees—many fearing Tutsi retribution—fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire, now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC). According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1.3 million Hutus returned to Rwanda. Even with substantial international aid, these civil dislocations have hindered efforts to foster reconciliation and to boost investment and agricultural output. Although much of the country is now at peace, members of the former regime continue to destabilize the northwest area of the country through a low-intensity insurgency. Rwandan troops are currently involved in a crisis engulfing neighboring DROC.
Geography
Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:total: 26,340 sq kmland: 24,950 sq kmwater: 1,390 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:total: 893 kmborder countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April,November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainouswith altitude declining from west to east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite(tungsten ore), methane, hydropower
Land use:arable land: 35%permanent crops: 13%permanent pastures: 18%forests and woodland: 22%other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Birungamountains are in the northwest along the border with DemocraticRepublic of the Congo
Environment—current issues: deforestation results fromuncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soilexhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography—note: landlocked; predominantly rural population
People
Population: 8,154,933 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44% (male 1,807,695; female 1,793,590)15-64 years: 53% (male 2,148,477; female 2,179,119)65 years and over: 3% (male 92,490; female 133,562) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.43% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 38.97 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 19.53 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: following the outbreak of genocidal strife in Rwanda in April 1994 between Tutsi and Hutu factions, more than 2 million refugees fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire); according to the UN High Commission on Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1.3 million Hutus returned to Rwanda—of these 720,000 returned from Democratic Republic of the Congo, 480,000 from Tanzania, 88,000 from Burundi, and 10,000 from Uganda; probably fewer than 100,000 Rwandans remained outside of Rwanda by the end of 1997
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 112.86 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 41.31 years male: 40.84 years female: 41.8 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups: Hutu 80%, Tutsi 19%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
Languages: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular,French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used incommercial centers
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 60.5%male: 69.8%female: 51.6% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:conventional long form: Rwandese Republicconventional short form: Rwandalocal long form: Republika y'u Rwandalocal short form: Rwanda
Data code: RW
Government type: republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (in French—prefectures, singular—prefecture; in Kinyarwanda—plural—NA, singular—prefegitura); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Kigaliville, Umutara, Ruhengeri
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted a new constitution which included elements of the constitution of 18 June 1991 as well as provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord and the November 1994 multi-party protocol of understanding
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994);Vice President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since 19 July 1994)head of government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since 1September 1995)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for afive-year term; election last held in December 1988 (next to be heldNA); prime minister is appointed by the presidentelection results: Juvenal HABYARIMANA elected president; percent ofvote—99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate)note: President HABYARIMANA was killed in a plane crash on 6 April1994 which ignited the genocide and was replaced by PresidentBIZIMUNGU who was installed by the military forces of the rulingRwandan Patriotic Front on 19 July 1994
Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional National Assembly orAssemblee Nationale de Transition (a power-sharing body with 70seats established on 12 December 1994 following a multi-partyprotocol understanding; members were predetermined by the Arushapeace accord)elections: the last national legislative elections were held 16December 1988 for the National Development Council (the legislatureprior to the advent of the Transitional National Assembly); noelections have been held for the Transitional National Assembly asthe distribution of seats was predetermined by the Arusha peaceaccordelection results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—RPF19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2; note—thedistribution of seats was predetermined
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, consists of the Court ofCassation and the Council of State in joint session
Political parties and leaders: significant parties include:
Political pressure groups and leaders: Rwanda Patriotic Army orReturn (RDR)
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene N. RUDASINGWA chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador George M. STAPLESembassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigalimailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side),yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellowband; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar tothe flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
Economy
Economy—overview: Rwanda is a rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa; is landlocked, and has few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary exports are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded the country's ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made significant progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy. GDP has rebounded, and inflation has been curbed. In June 1998, Rwanda signed an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) with the IMF. Rwanda has also embarked upon an ambitious privatization program with the World Bank.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$5.5 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 10.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$690 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 36% industry: 24% services: 40% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 51.2% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 24.2% (1983-85)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1998)
Labor force: 3.6 million
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 90%, government and services, industry and commerce
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:revenues: $231 millionexpenditures: $319 million, including capital expenditures of $13million (1996 est.)
Industries: production of cement, processing of agricultural products, small-scale beverage production, manufacture of soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (1995 est.)
Electricity—production: 164 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 2.44% hydro: 97.56% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 177 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 2 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 15 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
Exports: $82.1 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: coffee 55%, tea 21%, hides, tin ore (1997)
Exports—partners: Brazil 49%, Germany 16%, US, Netherlands, UK (1996)
Imports: $326 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel,petroleum products, cement and construction material (1997)
Imports—partners: Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, US, Belgium-Luxembourg(1997)
Debt—external: $1.2 billion (1998)
Economic aid—recipient: $711.2 million (1995); note?since 1994, World Bank financing to Rwanda has totaled more than $120 million; in June 1998, Rwanda signed an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) with the IMF; in summer 1998, Rwanda presented its policy objectives and development priorities to donor governments resulting in multi-year pledges in the amount of $250 million
Currency: 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1—320.63 (February 1999), 312.31 (1998), 301.53 (1997), 306.82 (1996), 262.20 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 6,400 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: telephone system primarily serves business andgovernmentdomestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of theprefectures by microwave radio relay; the remainder of the networkdepends on wire and HF radiotelephoneinternational: international connections employ microwave radiorelay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to moredistant countries; satellite earth stations—1 Intelsat (IndianOcean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 630,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 12,000 km paved: 1,000 km unpaved: 11,000 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Ports and harbors: Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
Airports: 7 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Gendarmerie
Military manpower—availability:males age 15-49: 1,964,118 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:males age 15-49: 1,000,204 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $92 million (1999)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 3.8% (1999)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: Rwandan military forces are supporting the rebel forces in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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@Saint Helena ——————
Geography
Location: islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa
Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 42 W
Map references: Africa
Area:total: 410 sq kmland: 410 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmnote: includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island,Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha Island
Area—comparative: slightly more than two times the size ofWashington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 60 km
Maritime claims:exclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Saint Helena—tropical; marine; mild, tempered by tradewinds; Tristan da Cunha—temperate; marine, mild, tempered by tradewinds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain: Saint Helena—rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateausand plainsnote: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:arable land: 6%permanent crops: NA%permanent pastures: 6%forests and woodland: 6%other: 82% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography—note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (his remains were taken to Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns
People
Population: 7,145 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 20% (male 713; female 690)15-64 years: 72% (male 2,664; female 2,449)65 years and over: 8% (male 259; female 370) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.74% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 13.86 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.04 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.88 years male: 72.78 years female: 79.13 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian
Ethnic groups: African descent, white
Religions: Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist,Roman Catholic
Languages: English
Literacy:definition: age 20 and over can read and writetotal population: 97%male: 97%female: 98% (1987 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena
Data code: SH
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
Constitution: 1 January 1989
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: NA years of age
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David LeslieSMALLMAN (since NA 1995)cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officioofficers, and six elected members of the Legislative Councilelections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed bythe monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (15 seats, including the governor, 2 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2001) election results: percent of vote—NA; seats—independents 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
International organization participation: ICFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory ofthe UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territoryof the UK)
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
Economy
Economy—overview: The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1998. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$13.9 million (FY94/95 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: NA%
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,000 (FY94/95 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 2,416 (1991 est.) note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas
Labor force—by occupation: professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmers, fishermen 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:revenues: $11.2 millionexpenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA(FY92/93)
Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 6 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 6 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Exports: $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
Exports—commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports—partners: South Africa, UK
Imports: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Imports—commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports—partners: UK, South Africa
Debt—external: $NA
Economic aid—recipient: $12.6 million (1995); note?$5.3 million from UK (1997)
Currency: 1 Saint Helenian pound (LS) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (LS) per US$1—0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994); note—the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 550
Telephone system:domestic: automatic network; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena toAscension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networksinternational: major coaxial submarine cable relay point betweenSouth Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; satellite earthstations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 2,500 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Communications—note: Gough Island has a meteorological station
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:total: NA km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension NA km, Tristan da CunhaNA km)paved: 180.7 km (Saint Helena 98 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan daCunha 2.70 km)unpaved: NA km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension NA km, Tristan daCunha NA km)
Ports and harbors: Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
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@Saint Kitts and Nevis ——————————-
Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 17 20 N, 62 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total: 269 sq kmland: 269 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims:continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginterritorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; littleseasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:arable land: 22%permanent crops: 17%permanent pastures: 3%forests and woodland: 17%other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 42,838 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 33% (male 7,178; female 6,826)15-64 years: 61% (male 13,226; female 13,083)65 years and over: 6% (male 1,020; female 1,505) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.34% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.6 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.15 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.94 years male: 64.87 years female: 71.21 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
Ethnic groups: black