Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,691,585 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 919,275 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 87,049 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $50 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY00)
Transnational Issues Haiti
Disputes - international: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs: major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; vulnerable to money laundering and pervasive corruption
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Hong Kong
Introduction Hong Kong
Background: Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Geography Hong Kong
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 1,092 sq km water: 50 sq km land: 1,042 sq km
Area - comparative: six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km
Coastline: 733 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point:Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use: arable land: 5% other: 94% (1998 est.) permanent crops: 1%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements: party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Geography - note: more than 200 islands
People Hong Kong
Population: 7,303,334 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311; female 599,811) 15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509; female 2,641,418) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.26% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.92 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 82.69 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.06% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,500 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%
Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population:Government Hong Kong
Country name: conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local short form: Xianggang local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu abbreviation: HK
Dependency status: special administrative region of China
Government type: NA
Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)
Independence: none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday: National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution: Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's NationalPeople's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Executive branch: chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19
Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region
Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and People'sLivelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [AlexCHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong[Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming,chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong KongAssociation for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong KongProgressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIENPei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman] note:political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy andPeople's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party;pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong,Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber ofCommerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong;Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president;LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president];Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movementin China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade UnionCouncil (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong KongProfessional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; LiberalDemocratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: Consul General Michael KLOSSON consulate(s) general: 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Economy Hong Kong
Economy - overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%. The economy, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports and GDP growth is estimated to be 0% in 2001. Private sector analysts project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $180 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 14.3% services: 85.6% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.44 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and social services 11%, manufacturing 7%, transport and communications 6%, construction 2%, other 30% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $22.9 billion expenditures: $24.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $465 million (FY00/01)
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate: -9% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 29.449 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 35,401.57 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 1.181 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 9.195 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork
Exports: $191 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones
Exports - partners: China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4%,Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2% (2000)
Imports: $203 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported
Imports - partners: China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US 7%, South Korea 5%, Singapore 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $58.8 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Currency code: HKD
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.798 (January 2002), 7.7994 (2001), 7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462 (1998), 7.7425 (1997); note - the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Hong Kong
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.839 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.7 million (December 1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 4.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)
Internet country code: .hk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)
Internet users: 3.93 million (2001)
Transportation Hong Kong
Railways: total: 34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified and double-tracked) note: connects to China railway system at Hong Kong-China border (2001)
Highways: total: 1,831 km paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Hong Kong
Merchant marine: total: 433 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,539,257 GRT/22,682,757 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 264, cargo 38, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 2, container 73, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, China 115, Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2, India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1, Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2, Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Hong Kong
Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,028,208 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,523,378 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 47,139 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of China
Transnational Issues Hong Kong
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces serious challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; money laundering center; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Introduction Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Background: These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Geography Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates: 53 06 S, 72 31 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 412 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 412 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than two times the size of Washington,DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 101.9 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Southern Ocean 0 m highest point:Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues: NA
People Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Population: uninhabited (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: NA
Government Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island andMcDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonaldIslands
Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage
Legal system: the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
Economy Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview: No indigenous economic activity, but the AustralianGovernment allows limited fishing around the islands.
Communications Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code: .hm
Transportation Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Transnational Issues Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Honduras
Introduction
Honduras
Background: Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and one-half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting against leftist guerrillas.
Geography Honduras
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 86 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km,El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline: 820 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 15% permanent crops: 3% other: 82% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 760 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
Environment - current issues: urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water) as well as several rivers and streams with heavy metals
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
People Honduras
Population: 6,560,608 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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.8% (male 1,400,778; female 1,340,834) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,774,619; female 1,806,568) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 112,100; female 125,709) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.34% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 31.21 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 30.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 70.51 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 4.03 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.92% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 63,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,200 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority
Languages: Spanish, Amerindian dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74% male: 74% female: 74.1% (1999)
Government Honduras
Country name: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Government type: democratic constitutional republic
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular -departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes,El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de laBahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995
Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002); First Vice President Vicente WILLIAMS Agasse (since 27 January 2002); Second Vice President Armida Villela Maria DE LOPEZ Contreras (since 27 January 2002); Third Vice President Alberto DIAZ Lobo (since 27 January 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (since 27 January 2002); First Vice President Vicente WILLIAMS Agasse (since 27 January 2002); Second Vice President Armida Villela Maria DE LOPEZ Contreras (since 27 January 2002); Third Vice President Alberto DIAZ Lobo (since 27 January 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (PN) elected president - 52.2%, Raphael PINEDA Ponce (PL) 44.3%, others 3.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members are elected proportionally to the number of votes their party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: PDC 4, PINU-SD 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDC[Dr. Hernan CORRALES Padilla]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD[leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Roberto MICHELETTI Bain]; NationalInnovation and Unity Party-Social Democratic Party or PINU-SD [OlbanF. VALLADARES]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Raphael CALLEJAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Committee for the Defense of HumanRights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH;Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General WorkersConfederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP;National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Unionof Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Federation of HonduranWorkers or FUTH
International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO,G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Mario Miguel CANAHUATI honorary consulate(s): Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Frank ALMAGUER embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, [504] 238-5114, 236-9320 FAX: Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
Economy Honduras
Economy - overview: Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, is banking on expanded trade privileges under the Enhanced Caribbean Basin Initiative and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. While the country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, it failed to meet the IMF's goals to liberalize its energy and telecommunications sectors. Growth remains dependent on the status of the US economy, its major trading partner, on commodity prices, particularly coffee, and on containment of the recent rise in crime.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $17 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 32% services: 50% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 53% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.4% highest 10%: 44.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 59 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.7% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.3 million (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 34%, industry 21%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 28% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $607 million expenditures: $411.9 million, including capital expenditures of $106 million (1999 est.)
Industries: sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.573 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.89% hydro: 63.11% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 3.593 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 275 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp
Exports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: coffee, bananas, shrimp, lobster, meat; zinc, lumber
Exports - partners: US 39.9%, El Salvador 9.2%, Germany 7.9%, Belgium 5.8%, Guatemala 5.4% (2000)
Imports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: US 46.1%, Guatemala 8.2%, El Salvador 6.6%, Mexico 4.7%, Japan 4.6% (2000)
Debt - external: $5.6 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $557.8 million (1999)
Currency: lempira (HNL)
Currency code: HNL
Exchange rates: lempiras per US dollar - 16.0256 (January 2002), 15.9197 (2001), 15.1407 (2000), 14.5039 (1999), 13.8076 (1998), 13.0942 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Honduras
Telephones - main lines in use: 234,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 14,427 (1997)
Telephone system: NA international: Central American Microwave System
Radio broadcast stations: AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)
Radios: 2.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 570,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .hn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 8 (2000)
Internet users: 40,000 (2000)
Transportation Honduras
Railways: total: 595 km narrow gauge: 318 km 1.067-m gauge; 277 km 0.914-m gauge (2000)
Highways: total: 15,400 km paved: 3,126 km unpaved: 12,274 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 465 km (navigable by small craft)
Ports and harbors: La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo,Tela, Puerto Lempira
Merchant marine: total: 284 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 749,243 GRT/846,942 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 1, Bahrain 1, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Bulgaria 1, China 8, Costa Rica 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 6, El Salvador 1, Germany 1, Greece 18, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Italy 1, Japan 7, Lebanon 4, Liberia 4, Maldives 2, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Panama 14, Philippines 1, Romania 2, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 24, South Korea 12, Spain 1, Syria 1, Taiwan 4, Tanzania 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 2, Turks and Caicos Islands 1, United Arab Emirates 6, United Kingdom 1, United States 5, Vanuatu 1, Vietnam 1, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 20, cargo 166, chemical tanker 5, container 6, livestock carrier 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 54, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
Airports: 117 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: 2 914 to 1,523 m: Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 105 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 83 (2001)
Military Honduras
Military branches: Army, Navy (including marines), Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,563,174 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 930,718 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 72,335 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.6% (FY99)
Transnational Issues Honduras
Disputes - international: Honduras claims Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize; El Salvador disputes tiny Conejo Island off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca; many of the "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary remain undemarcated despite ICJ adjudication in 1992; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised a tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; vulnerable to money laundering
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Howland Island
Introduction
Howland Island
Background: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National Wildlife Refuge.
Geography Howland Island
Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Geographic coordinates: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 1.6 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 6.4 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
People Howland Island
Population: uninhabited note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: NA
Government Howland Island
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:Howland Island
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
Legal system: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
Economy Howland Island
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Transportation Howland Island
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Transportation - note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART
Military Howland Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
Transnational Issues Howland Island
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Croatia
Introduction
Croatia
Background: In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became an independent communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.
Geography Croatia
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, betweenBosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates: 45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 56,542 sq km water: 128 sq km land: 56,414 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 2,185 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Yugoslavia 254 km, Slovenia 670 km
Coastline: 5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point:Dinara 1,830 m
Natural resources: oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 2% other: 74% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, AirPollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: controls most land routes from Western Europe toAegean Sea and Turkish Straits
People Croatia
Population: 4,390,751 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 411,847; female 390,797) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,461,305; female 1,448,973) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 252,970; female 424,859) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.12% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.8 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 11.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 9.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 77.96 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 350 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s) adjective: Croatian
Ethnic groups: Croat 78.1%, Serb 12.2%, Bosniak 0.9%, Hungarian 0.5%, Slovene 0.5%, Czech 0.4%, Albanian 0.3%, Montenegrin 0.3%, Roma 0.2%, others 6.6% (1991)
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Muslim 1.2%, Protestant 0.4%, others and unknown 10.8% (1991)
Languages: Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech,Slovak, and German)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 99% female: 95% (1991 est.)
Government Croatia
Country name: Republic of Croatia conventional short form: Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy
Capital: Zagreb
Administrative divisions: 20 counties (zupanije, zupanija -singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular); Bjelovarsko-BilogorskaZupanija, Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija,Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija,Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija,Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-GoranskaZupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija,Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija, Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-PodravskaZupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*,Zagrebacka Zupanija
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000), Zeljka ANTUNOVIC (since 27 January 2000), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of power in the Assembly note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS; a fifth party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), withdrew in June 2001 election results: Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44%
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sabor (151 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - House of Counties was abolished in March 2001 election results: Assembly (then referred to as the House of Representatives) - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 46, SDP 44, HSLS 24, HSS 17, HSP/HKDU 5, IDS 4, HNS 2, independents 4, minority representatives 5 elections: Assembly - last held 2-3 January 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2003)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the House of Representatives
Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Croatian Coast and Mountains Department or PGS [Luciano SUSANJ]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Marko VESELICA]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Dobroslav PARAGA]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Drazen BUDISA]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LP [leader NA]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN] note: the Social Democratic Party or SDP and the Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS formed a coalition as did the HSS, HNS, LP, and IDS, which together defeated the Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ in the 2000 lower house parliamentary election; the IDS subsequently left the governing coalition in June 2001 over its inability to win greater autonomy for Istria
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD,ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorIvan GRDESIC FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general: Chicago,Los Angeles, New York telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 chancery: 2343Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence G. ROSSIN embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, 10000 Zagreb mailing address: use street address telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373
Flag description: red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)
Economy Croatia
Economy - overview: Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area, with a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. The economy emerged from its mild recession in 2000 with tourism the main factor, but massive structural unemployment remains a key negative element. The government's failure to press the economic reforms needed to spur growth is largely the result of coalition politics and public resistance, particularly from the trade unions, to measures that would cut jobs, wages, or social benefits. As a result, the country is likely to experience only moderate growth without disciplined fiscal and structural reform.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $36.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 33% services: 57% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 23.3% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 29 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.7 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: 23% (December 2001)
Budget: revenues: $8.6 billion expenditures: $9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2001)
Electricity - production: 10.578 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.76% hydro: 55.22% other: 0.02% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 12.638 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 900 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 3.7 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels
Exports - partners: Italy 24%, Germany 15%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 12%,Slovenia 9%, Austria 5.8% (2001 est.)
Imports: $8.4 billion (c.i.f., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery, transport and electrical equipment, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Italy 17%, Germany 16.9%, Slovenia 7.9%, Russia 7.5%,Austria 7% (2001 est.)
Debt - external: $11 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: kuna (HRK)
Currency code: HRK
Exchange rates: kuna per US dollar - 8.452 (January 2002), 8.340 (2001), 8.277 (2000), 7.112 (1999), 6.362 (1998), 6.101 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Croatia
Telephones - main lines in use: 1,721,139 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.3 million (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk international: digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project which consists of two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece (2000)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)
Radios: 1.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions: 1.22 million (1997)
Internet country code: .hr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000)
Internet users: 200,000 (2001)
Transportation Croatia
Railways: total: 2,726 km standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (NA electrified) (2000)
Highways: total: 28,009 km paved: 23,695 km (including 330 km of expressways) unpaved: 4,314 km (2001)
Waterways: 785 km note: (perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris)
Pipelines: crude oil 670 km; petroleum products 20 km; natural gas 310 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka,Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar
Merchant marine: total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 681,465 GRT/1,076,315 DWT note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 13, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 5, container 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 3
Airports: 67 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 22 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 8 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Croatia
Military branches: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HV), Naval Forces,Air and Air Defense Forces
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,086,578 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 860,497 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 30,037 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $520 million (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.39% (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues Croatia
Disputes - international: Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue discussions on the disputed boundary in the Una River near Kostajnica, Hrvatska Dubica, and Zeljava; Bosnia and Herzegovina also protests Croatian claim to the tip of the Klek Peninsula and several islands near Neum; Hungary opposes Croatian plan to build a hydropower dam on the boundary stream Drava; Slovenia and Croatia have not obtained parliamentary ratification of 2001 land and maritime boundary treaty which cedes villages on the Dragonja River and Sveta Gera (Trdinov Peak) to Croatia, and most of Pirin Bay to Slovenia, but restricts Slovenian access to the open sea; Croatia and Yugoslavia continue to discuss disputed Prevlaka Peninsula and control over the Gulf of Kotor despite imminent UN intention to withdraw observer mission (UNMOP); Croatia and Italy are still trying to resolve bilateral property and ethnic minority rights dating from World War II
Illicit drugs: transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Hungary
Introduction
Hungary
Background: Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. In the more open GORBACHEV years, Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and steadily shifted toward multiparty democracy and a market-oriented economy. Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Hungary developed close political and economic ties to Western Europe. It joined NATO in 1999 and is a frontrunner in a future expansion of the EU.
Geography Hungary
Location: Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 93,030 sq km water: 690 sq km land: 92,340 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana