elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by President NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan orDPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC,EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM (observer), ISO(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorMered ORAZOV
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorSteven R. MANN
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
Flag description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe
Turkmenistan Economy
Economy - overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in the world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. With an authoritarian ex-communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2000, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose sharply because of higher international oil and gas prices. Prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty and the burden of foreign debt. IMF assistance would seem to be necessary, yet the government is not as yet ready to accept IMF requirements. Turkmenistan's 1999 deal to ship 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas through Russia's Gazprom pipeline helped alleviate the 2000 fiscal shortfall. Inadequate fiscal restraint and the tenuous nature of Turkmenistan's 2001 gas deals, combined with a lack of economic reform, will limit progress in the near term.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $19.6 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 16% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%
industry: 43%
services: 32% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 58% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 44%, industry 19%, services 37% (1996)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $588.6 million
expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 18% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 8.371 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.94%
hydro: 0.06%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 4.785 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 4.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 1.1 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: cotton, grain; livestock
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: gas 33%, oil 30%, cotton fiber 18%, textiles 8% (1999)
Exports - partners: Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan,Tajikistan, Azerbaijan
Imports: $1.65 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)
Imports - partners: Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Germany, US,Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Debt - external: $2.5 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $27.2 million (1995)
Currency: Turkmen manat (TMM)
Currency code: TMM
Exchange rates: Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (January 2001), 5,200 (January 2000), 5,350 (January 1999), 4,070 (January 1997), 2,400 (January 1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Turkmenistan Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 363,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,300 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 1.225 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (much programming relayed fromRussia and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions: 820,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .tm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: 2,000 (2000)
Turkmenistan Transportation
Railways: total: 2,187 km
broad gauge: 2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
Highways: total: 22,000 km
paved: 18,000 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)
unpaved: 4,000 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)
Waterways: the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway forTurkmenistan
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Ports and harbors: Turkmenbashi
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,459GRT/8,865 DWT
ships by type: container 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 76 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 63
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 41 (2000 est.)
Turkmenistan Military
Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense,Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,173,500 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 952,218 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 48,292 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY99)
Turkmenistan Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment point for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan
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@Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands Introduction
Background: The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory.
Turks and Caicos Islands Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas
Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 389 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
Land use: arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)
Turks and Caicos Islands People
Population: 18,122 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.58% (male 2,996; female 2,908)
15-64 years: 63.51% (male 6,050; female 5,459)
65 years and over: 3.91% (male 316; female 393) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.41% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 24.89 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 13.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.52 years
male: 71.37 years
female: 75.77 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.22 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups: black
Religions: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%,Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk)
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6February 1953), represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27January 2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement or PDM[Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [WashingtonMISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB,Interpol (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of theUK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
Turks and Caicos Islands Economy
Economy - overview: The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 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): 4% (1995)
Labor force: 4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-1998 est.)
Industries: tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 5 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 4.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Exports: $4.7 million (1993)
Exports - commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports - partners: US, UK
Imports: $46.6 million (1993)
Imports - commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Imports - partners: US, UK
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $4.1 million (1997)
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: calendar year
Turks and Caicos Islands Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,000 (1994)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)
Telephone system: general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 8,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .tc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Turks and Caicos Islands Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Grand Turk, Providenciales
Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)
Airports: 8 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Turks and Caicos Islands Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
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@Tuvalu
Tuvalu Introduction
Background: In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
Tuvalu Geography
Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 26 sq km
land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March toNovember); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level
Environment - current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table
Environment - international agreements: party to: Climate Change,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Tuvalu People
Population: 10,991 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.28% (male 1,862; female 1,796)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 3,241; female 3,529)
65 years and over: 5.12% (male 236; female 327) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 21.56 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.65 years
male: 64.52 years
female: 68.88 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.09 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%
Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-DayAdventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages: Tuvaluan, English
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Tuvalu Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
Government type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
Capital: Funafuti
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Tomasi PUAPUA (since 26 June 1998)
head of government: Acting Prime Minister Lagitupu (of Nanumea) TUILIMU (since 8 December 2000); note - TUILIMU took over after Prime Minister Ionatana IONATANA died suddenly of a heart attack on 8 December 2000
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 27 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: results of the last election for prime minister - Ionatana IONATANA elected prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA%; Lagitupu (of Nanumea) TUILIMU elected deputy prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA%; note - Deputy Prime Minister Lagitupu (of Nanumea) TUILIMU became acting prime minister following the death of Prime Minister Ionatana IONATANA on 8 December 2000
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (12 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 26-27 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 12
Judicial branch: High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
Tuvalu Economy
Economy - overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the sale of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could raise GDP three or more times over the next decade. In 1999, with merchandise exports falling and financing reaching less than 5% of imports, continued reliance was placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets to cover the trade deficit.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.6 million (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1999 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): 7% (1999 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $6.2 million
expenditures: $6.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%
Agriculture - products: coconuts; fish
Exports: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
Exports - commodities: copra
Exports - partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Imports - commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $13 million (1999 est.); note - major donors are Japan and Australia
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar
Currency code: AUD
Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Tuvalu Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 1,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)
Telephone system: general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 800
Internet country code: .tv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Tuvalu Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 8 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 8 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,135GRT/68,300 DWT
ships by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.)
Airports: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Tuvalu Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Tuvalu Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
======================================================================
@Uganda
Uganda Introduction
Background: Uganda achieved independence from the UK in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed another 100,000 lives. During the 1990s the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.
Uganda Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 236,040 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December toFebruary, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land
Land use: arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 29% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 90 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note: landlocked
Uganda People
Population: 23,985,712
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 51.08% (male 6,150,038; female 6,100,880)
15-64 years: 46.78% (male 5,613,499; female 5,607,526)
65 years and over: 2.14% (male 244,216; female 269,553) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.93% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 47.52 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 17.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 1999, Uganda was host to 218,000 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including: Sudan 200,600, Rwanda 8,000, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 8,000
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 91.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 43.37 years
male: 42.59 years
female: 44.17 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.88 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 8.3% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 820,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 110,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic groups: Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%,Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%,Batoro 3%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 23%
Religions: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Languages: English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.8%
male: 73.7%
female: 50.2% (1995 est.)
Uganda Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda
Government type: republic
Capital: Kampala
Administrative divisions: 45 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua,Bugiri, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja,Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese,Katakwi, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero,Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende,Mukono, Nakasongola, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri,Sembabule, Soroti, Tororo
Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution: 8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995
Legal system: in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 12 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 69.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 27.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (276 members - 214 directly elected by popular vote, 62 nominated by legally established special interest groups and approved by the president - women 39, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 3; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 1996 (next to be held May or June 2001);
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders: only one political organization, the National Resistance Movement or NRM [President MUSEVENI, chairman] is allowed to operate unfettered; note - the president maintains that the NRM is not a political party, but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans
note: the new constitution requires the suspension of political parties while the Movement system is in governanace; of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Milton OBOTE]; Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE]; Conservative Party or CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; Justice Forum [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; and National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB,ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorEdith Grace SSEMPALA
chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorMartin G. BRENNAN
embassy: Parliament Avenue, Kampala
mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone: [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
Flag description: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side
Uganda Economy
Economy - overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. In 1990-2000, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced HIPC debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original Highly Indebted Poor Countries HIPC debt relief add up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001 should be somewhat lower than in 2000, because of a decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43%
industry: 17%
services: 40% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 55% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 33.4% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (2000)
Labor force: 8.361 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 82%, industry 5%, services 13% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $959 million
expenditures: $1.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1999)
Electricity - production: 1.326 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.98%
hydro: 99.02%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 1.06 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 174 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 1 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Exports: $500.1 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: coffee, fish and fish products, tea; electrical products, iron and steel
Exports - partners: Spain, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Hungary,Kenya (1999)
Imports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals
Imports - partners: Kenya 27.5%, US 21.2%, France 19.3, UK 5%, India 4% (1999)
Debt - external: $3.6 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $1.4 billion (2000)
Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Currency code: UGX
Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,700 (February 2001), 1,830.4 (January 2001), 1,644.5 (2000), 1,454.8 (1999), 1,240.2 (1998), 1,083.0 (1997), 1,046.1 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Uganda Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 50,074; however, 80,868 main lines were installed (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 9,000 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short range traffic
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Radio broadcast stations: AM 19, FM 4, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios: 2.6 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)
Televisions: 315,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ug
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 25,000 (2000)
Uganda Transportation
Railways: total: 1,241 km
narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge
note: a program to rehabilitate the railroad is underway (1995)
Highways: total: 27,000 km
paved: 1,800 km
unpaved: 25,200 km (of which about 4200 km are all-weather roads) (1990)
Waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, LakeEdward, Victoria Nile, Albert Nile
Ports and harbors: Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091GRT/8,229 DWT
ships by type: roll on/roll off
note: these ships are in cargo and passenger service on Uganda's inland waterways (2000 est.)
Airports: 28 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)
Uganda Military
Military branches: Army, Air Wing, Marine Unit
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,118,755 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,778,457 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $95 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY98/99)
Uganda Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: the Ugandan military is deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo in support of rebel forces in that country's civil war; a resurvey of the latitudinal boundary with Tanzania in 2000 revealed a 300-meter discrepancy that both sides are currently adjudicating
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@Ukraine
Ukraine Introduction
Background: Richly endowed in natural resources, Ukraine has been fought over and subjugated for centuries; its 20th-century struggle for liberty is not yet complete. A short-lived independence from Russia (1917-1920) was followed by brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died, and World War II, in which German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 million more deaths. Although independence was attained in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, true freedom remains elusive as many of the former Soviet elite remain entrenched, stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civic liberties.
Ukraine Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area: total: 603,700 sq km
land: 603,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,558 km
border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline: 2,782 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south