Population below poverty line: 44.5% (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 22.7% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30.5 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 34.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 9.9 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998)
Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $11.7 billion expenditures: $12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2001)
Electricity - production: 49.787 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.58% hydro: 36.92% other: 0.01% (2000) nuclear: 10.49%
Electricity - consumption: 45.677 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 1.4 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 775 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999)
Exports - partners: Italy 22%, Germany 16%, France 7%, Turkey 6%, US (2000)
Imports: $14.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999)
Imports - partners: Italy 19%, Germany 15%, Russia 9%, France 6% (2000)
Debt - external: $11.6 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: leu (ROL)
Currency code: ROL
Exchange rates: lei per US dollar - 35,052.0 (January 2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Romania
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.777 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 645,500 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages have no service international: direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in several international telecommunication network projects (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 7.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 5.25 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ro
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 38 (2000)
Internet users: 800,000 (2001)
Transportation Romania
Railways: total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified) standard gauge: 10,898 km 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2001) broad gage: Highways: total: 153,359 km paved: 103,671 km (including 133 km of expressways) unpaved: 49,688 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea
Merchant marine: total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 561,470 GRT/754,836 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 1, Italy 5 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 47, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4
Airports: 61 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 37 under 914 m: 23 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Romania
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR),Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guards
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,906,601 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,970,496 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 179,951 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $985 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.47% (2002)
Transnational Issues Romania
Disputes - international: Romania and Ukraine have yet to resolve claims over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and delimitation of Black Sea maritime boundary, despite 1997 bilateral treaty to find a solution in two years and numerous talks; because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary
Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Philippines
Introduction
Philippines
Background: The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. They attained their independence in 1946 after Japanese occupation in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986 when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. The Philippines has had two electoral presidential transitions since Marcos' removal by "people power." In January 2001, the Supreme Court declared Joseph ESTRADA unable to rule in view of mass resignations from his government and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO as his constitutional successor. The government continues to struggle with ongoing Muslim insurgencies in the south.
Geography Philippines
Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 122 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 300,000 sq km water: 1,830 sq km land: 298,170 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: to depth of exploitation territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 NM from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 NM in breadth exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m highest point:Mount Apo 2,954 m
Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: arable land: 18% permanent crops: 15% other: 67% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 15,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: uncontrolled deforestation in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in Manila; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps which are important fish breeding grounds
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, 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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: favorably located in relation to many of SoutheastAsia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea,Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait
People Philippines
Population: 84,525,639 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 36.6% (male 15,731,451; female 15,169,264) 15-64 years: (male 1,399,862; female 1,756,317) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.99% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 26.88 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -1 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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 71.12 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 28,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,200 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Filipino(s) adjective: Philippine
Ethnic groups: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
Languages: two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) andEnglish; eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon orIlonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.6% male: 95% female: 94.3% (1995 est.)
Government Philippines
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines conventional short form: Philippines local short form: Pilipinas local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
Government type: republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra,Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora,Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes,Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*,Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*,Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes,Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*,Dapitan*, Davao City*, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental,Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao,Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*,Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanaodel Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*,Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, MindoroOccidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental,Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato,Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*,Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*,Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*,Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan),San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato,Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte,Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac,Tawi-Tawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboangadel Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Independence: 4 July 1946 (from US)
National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 4 July 1946 is the date of independence from the US
Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsoryICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Teofisto GUINGONA (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Teofisto GUINGONA (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Appointments elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for six-year terms; election last held 11 May 1998 (next to be held 16 May 2004) election results: results of the last presidential election - Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA elected president; percent of vote - approximately 40%; Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO elected vice president; percent of vote - 55%; note - on 20 January 2001, Vice President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was sworn in as the constitutional successor to President Joseph ESTRADA after the Supreme Court declared that ESTRADA was unable to rule in view of the mass resignations from his government; according to the Constitution, only in cases of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the president, can the vice president serve for the unexpired term
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (214 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - additional members may be appointed by the president but the Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more than 250 members) elections: Senate - last held 14 May 2001 (next to be held 16 May 2004); House of Representatives - elections last held 14 May 2001 (next to be held 16 May 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Lakas 13, PDP-Laban/LDP 11; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Lakas 86, NPC 51, LDP 21, LP 20, independents 10, other 26
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70 years of age)
Political parties and leaders: Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New SocietyMovement) [Imelda MARCOS]; Laban Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle ofFilipino Democrats) or LDP [Eduardo ANGARA]; Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA,party president]; Liberal Party or LP [Florencio ABAD]; NacionalistaParty [Jose OLIVEROS]; National People's Coalition or NPC [EduardoCOJUANGCO]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL]; People's Reform Party or PRP[Miriam DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC,CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM,OAS (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET,UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorAlbert DEL ROSARIO consulate(s): San Diego consulate(s) general: Chicago,Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, San Jose (Northern MarianaIslands), Tamuning (Guam) FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614 telephone: [1] (202)333-6000 chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francis RICCIARDONE embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000 Manila mailing address: FPO 96515 telephone: [63] (2) 523-1001 FAX: [63] (2) 522-4361
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
Economy Philippines
Economy - overview: In 1998 the Philippine economy - a mixture of agriculture, light industry, and supporting services - deteriorated as a result of spillover from the Asian financial crisis and poor weather conditions. Growth fell to 0.6% in 1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. The government has promised to continue its economic reforms to help the Philippines match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster government revenues, furthering deregulation and privatization of the economy, and increasing trade integration with the region. Prospects for 2002 depend heavily on the economic performance of two major trading partners, the US and Japan.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $335 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17% industry: 30% services: 53% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 40% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.5% highest 10%: 39.3% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 46.2 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 32 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 39.8%, government and social services 19.4%, services 17.7%, manufacturing 9.8%, construction 5.8%, other 7.5% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $10.9 billion expenditures: $13.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 40.667 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.57% hydro: 19.85% other: 22.58% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 37.82 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish
Exports: $37 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments, coconut products
Exports - partners: US 30%, Japan 15%, Netherlands 8%, Singapore 8%,Taiwan 8%, Hong Kong 5% (2000)
Imports: $30 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, consumer goods, fuels
Imports - partners: Japan 19%, US 16%, EU 9%, South Korea 8%, Singapore 6%, Taiwan 6% (2000)
Debt - external: $50 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $1.1 billion (1998)
Currency: Philippine peso (PHP)
Currency code: PHP
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos per US dollar - 51.201 (January 2002), 50.993 (2001), 44.192 (2000), 39.089 (1999), 40.893 (1998), 29.471 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Philippines
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.1 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6.5 million (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations international: 9 international gateways; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan
Radio broadcast stations: AM 366, FM 290, shortwave 5 note: each shortwave station operates on multiple frequencies in the language of the target audience (2002)
Radios: 11.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 75 (2000)
Televisions: 3.7 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ph
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 33 (2000)
Internet users: 2 million (2001)
Transportation Philippines
Railways: total: 897 km narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (405 km are not in operation) (2001)
Highways: total: 199,950 km paved: 39,590 km unpaved: 160,360 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 3,219 km note: limited to vessels with a draft of less than 1.5 m
Pipelines: petroleum products 357 km
Ports and harbors: Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, GuimarasIsland, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Manila, Masao, Puerto Princesa,San Fernando, Subic Bay, Zamboanga
Merchant marine: total: 416 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,179,029 GRT/7,670,688 DWT ships by type: bulk 134, cargo 112, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 7, container 5, liquefied gas 9, livestock carrier 9, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 41, refrigerated cargo 20, roll on/roll off 14, short-sea passenger 29, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 18 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 2, Canada 1, Germany 3, Greece 8, Hong Kong 13, Japan 47, Malaysia 19, Netherlands 14, Norway 8, Panama 3, Singapore 12, South Korea 1, Taiwan 2, United Kingdom 7 (2002 est.)
Airports: 275 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 77 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 12 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 198 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 119 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 74
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Philippines
Military branches: Army, Navy (including Coast Guard and Marine Corps),Air Force, paramilitary units
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 21,718,304 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 15,285,248 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 848,181 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $995 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Philippines
Disputes - international: Sultanate of Sulu granted PhilippinesGovernment power of attorney to pursue his sovereignty claim overMalaysia's Sabah State, to which the Philippines have not fully revokedtheir claim; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands withChina, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei
Illicit drugs: exports locally produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for heroin and crystal methamphetamine
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Puerto Rico
Introduction
Puerto Rico
Background: Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 and popularly elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998 voters chose to retain commonwealth status.
Geography Puerto Rico
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the NorthAtlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 66 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 9,104 sq km water: 145 sq km land: 8,959 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of RhodeIsland
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 5% other: 91% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 400 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes
Environment - current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
Geography - note: important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
People Puerto Rico
Population: 3,957,988 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.5% (male 476,726; female 453,782) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,249,850; female 1,353,438) 65 years and over: 10.7% (male 180,053; female 244,139) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.51% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.04 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 80.66 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,397 (1997)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic groups: white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Languages: Spanish, English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1980 est.)
Government Puerto Rico
Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Dependency status: commonwealth associated with the US
Government type: commonwealth
Capital: San Juan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US);there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by theUS Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular -municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas,Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon,Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba,Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida,Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros,Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias,Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez,Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce,Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German,San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja,Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa,Yauco
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
National holiday: US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
Legal system: based on Spanish civil code and adapted US state laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch: chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.6% note: residents of Puerto Rico do not vote for US president and vice president elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004) head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON (since 2 January 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (28 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPD 19, PNP 8, PIP 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1 note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party [CelesteBENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE];New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Carlos PESQUERA];Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Sila M. CALDERON];Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOSMartinez]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Armed Forces for NationalLiberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua PopularArmy (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto RicanRevolution
International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
Economy Puerto Rico
Economy - overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $43.9 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 45% services: 54% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2000)
Budget: revenues: $6.7 billion expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)
Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 20.497 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.22% hydro: 0.78% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 19.062 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
Exports: $38.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners: US 88% (2000)
Imports: $27 billion (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities: chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners: US 60% (2000)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Puerto Rico
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.322 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 169,265 (1996)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 2.7 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 18 (plus three stations of the US ArmedForces Radio and Television Service) (1997)
Televisions: 1.021 million (1997)
Internet country code: .pr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 76 (2000)
Internet users: 200,000 (2000)
Transportation Puerto Rico
Railways: total: 96 km narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge, note: rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service (2001)
Highways: total: 14,400 km paved: 14,400 km unpaved: 0 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,046GRT/22,582 DWT ships by type: container 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 30 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 5 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 9 (2001)
Military Puerto Rico
Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitaryNational Guard, Police Force
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Puerto Rico
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Russia
Introduction
Russia
Background: The defeat of the Russian Empire in World War I led to the seizure of power by the Communists and the formation of the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1924-53) strengthened Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya.
Geography Russia
Location: Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 17,075,200 sq km water: 79,400 sq km land: 16,995,800 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries: total: 19,990 km border countries: Azerbaijan 284km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km,Estonia 294 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km,North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km,Mongolia 3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km,Ukraine 1,576 km
Coastline: 37,653 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point:Gora El'brus 5,633 m
Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% other: 92% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 46,630 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula
Environment - current issues: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but notratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount Elbrus is Europe's tallest peak
People Russia
Population: 144,978,573 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 16.7% (male 12,334,659; female 11,840,058) 15-64 years: (male 6,150,775; female 12,919,811) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.33% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.71 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.94 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: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 72.97 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.18% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 130,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 850 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian
Ethnic groups: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%,Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Languages: Russian, other
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 100% female: 97% (1989 est.)
Government Russia
Country name: Russian Federation conventional short form: RussianSoviet Federative Socialist Republic local short form: Rossiya
Government type: federation
Capital: Moscow
Administrative divisions: 49 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics* (respublik, singular - respublika), 10 autonomous okrugs**(avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 6 krays*** (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (singular - gorod)****, and 1 autonomous oblast*****(avtonomnaya oblast'); Adygeya (Maykop)*, Aginskiy Buryatskiy (Aginskoye)**, Altay (Gorno-Altaysk)*, Altayskiy (Barnaul)***, Amurskaya (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'skaya, Astrakhanskaya, Bashkortostan (Ufa)*, Belgorodskaya, Bryanskaya, Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude)*, Chechnya (Groznyy)*, Chelyabinskaya, Chitinskaya, Chukotskiy (Anadyr')**, Chuvashiya (Cheboksary)*, Dagestan (Makhachkala)*, Evenkiyskiy (Tura)**, Ingushetiya (Nazran')*, Irkutskaya, Ivanovskaya, Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik)*, Kaliningradskaya, Kalmykiya (Elista)*, Kaluzhskaya, Kamchatskaya (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk)*, Kareliya (Petrozavodsk)*, Kemerovskaya, Khabarovskiy***, Khakasiya (Abakan)*, Khanty-Mansiyskiy (Khanty-Mansiysk)**, Kirovskaya, Komi (Syktyvkar)*, Koryakskiy (Palana)**, Kostromskaya, Krasnodarskiy***, Krasnoyarskiy***, Kurganskaya, Kurskaya, Leningradskaya, Lipetskaya, Magadanskaya, Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola)*, Mordoviya (Saransk)*, Moskovskaya, Moskva (Moscow)****, Murmanskaya, Nenetskiy (Nar'yan-Mar)**, Nizhegorodskaya, Novgorodskaya, Novosibirskaya, Omskaya, Orenburgskaya, Orlovskaya (Orel), Penzenskaya, Permskaya, Komi-Permyatskiy (Kudymkar)**, Primorskiy (Vladivostok)***, Pskovskaya, Rostovskaya, Ryazanskaya, Sakha (Yakutiya)*, Sakhalinskaya (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samarskaya, Sankt-Peterburg (Saint Petersburg)****, Saratovskaya, Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya [North Ossetia] (Vladikavkaz)*, Smolenskaya, Stavropol'skiy***, Sverdlovskaya (Yekaterinburg), Tambovskaya, Tatarstan (Kazan')*, Taymyrskiy (Dudinka)**, Tomskaya, Tul'skaya, Tverskaya, Tyumenskaya, Tyva (Kyzyl)*, Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)*, Ul'yanovskaya, Ust'-Ordynskiy Buryatskiy (Ust'-Ordynskiy)**, Vladimirskaya, Volgogradskaya, Vologodskaya, Voronezhskaya, Yamalo-Nenetskiy (Salekhard)**, Yaroslavskaya, Yevreyskaya*****; note - when using a place name with an adjectival ending 'skaya' or 'skiy,' the word Oblast' or Avonomnyy Okrug or Kray should be added to the place name note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Russia Day, 12 June (1990)
Constitution: adopted 12 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (acting president since 31 December 1999, president since 7 May 2000) head of government: Aleksey Leonidovich KUDRIN (since 18 May 2000), Aleksey Vasilyevich GORDEYEV (since 20 May 2000), Viktor Borisovich KHRISTENKO (since 31 May 1999), Valentina Ivanovna MATVIYENKO (since 22 September 1998) cabinet: and his deputies, ministers, and other agency heads; all are appointed by the president note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president election results: Vladimirovich PUTIN 52.9%, Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV 29.2%, Grigoriy Alekseyevich YAVLINSKIY 5.8% elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 March 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); note - no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier succeeds him; the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (178 seats; as of July 2000, members appointed by the top executive and legislative officials in each of the 89 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; members serve four-year terms) and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; 225 seats elected by proportional representation from party lists winning at least 5% of the vote, and 225 seats from single-member constituencies; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: State Duma - percent of vote received by parties clearing the 5% threshold entitling them to a proportional share of the 225 party list seats - KPRF 24.29%, Unity 23.32%, OVR 13.33%, Union of Right Forces 8.52%, LDPR 5.98%, Yabloko 5.93%; seats by party - KPRF 113, Unity 72, OVR 67, Union of Rightist Forces 29, LDPR 17, Yabloko 21, other 16, independents 106, repeat election required 8, vacant 1 elections: State Duma - last held 19 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2003)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Superior Court of Arbitration; judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the president
Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party [Mikhail Ivanovich LAPSHIN]; Communist Party of the Russian Federation or KPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Fatherland-All Russia or OVR [Yuriy Mikhaylovich LUZHKOV]; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich ZHIRINOVSKIY]; Union of Rightist Forces [Anatoliy Borisovich CHUBAYS, Yegor Timurovich GAYDAR, Irina Mutsuovna KHAKAMADA, Boris Yefimovich NEMTSOV]; Unity [Sergey Kuzhugetovich SHOYGU]; Yabloko Bloc [Grigoriy Alekseyevich YAVLINSKIY] note: some 150 political parties, blocs, and movements registered with the Justice Ministry as of the 19 December 1998 deadline to be eligible to participate in the 19 December 1999 Duma elections; of these, 36 political organizations actually qualified to run slates of candidates on the Duma party list ballot, 6 parties cleared the 5% threshold to win a proportional share of the 225 party seats in the Duma, 9 other organizations hold seats in the Duma: Bloc of Nikolayev and Academician Fedorov, Congress of Russian Communities, Movement in Support of the Army, Our Home Is Russia, Party of Pensioners, Power to the People, Russian All-People's Union, Russian Socialist Party, and Spiritual Heritage; primary political blocs include pro-market democrats - (Yabloko Bloc and Union of Right Forces), anti-market and/or ultranationalist (Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia)
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: APEC, ARF (dialogue partner),ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), CIS,EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW,OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador YuriyViktorovich USHAKOV FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735 consulate(s) general: NewYork, San Francisco, and Seattle telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701,5704, 5708 chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorAlexander VERSHBOW embassy: Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099Moscow mailing address: APO AE 09721 telephone: [7] (095) 728-5000 FAX:[7] (095) 728-5203 consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok,Yekaterinburg
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
Economy Russia
Economy - overview: A decade after the implosion of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Russia is still struggling to establish a modern market economy and achieve strong economic growth. In contrast to its trading partners in Central Europe - which were able to overcome the initial production declines that accompanied the launch of market reforms within three to five years - Russia saw its economy contract for five years, as the executive and legislature dithered over the implementation of many of the basic foundations of a market economy. Russia achieved a slight recovery in 1997, but the government's stubborn budget deficits and the country's poor business climate made it vulnerable when the global financial crisis swept through in 1998. The crisis culminated in the August depreciation of the ruble, a debt default by the government, and a sharp deterioration in living standards for most of the population. The economy subsequently has rebounded, growing by an average of more than 6% annually in 1999-2001 on the back of higher oil prices and a weak ruble. This recovery, along with a renewed government effort in 2000 and 2001 to advance lagging structural reforms, have raised business and investor confidence over Russia's prospects in its second decade of transition. Yet serious problems persist. Russia remains heavily dependent on exports of commodities, particularly oil, natural gas, metals, and timber, which account for over 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Russia's industrial base is increasingly dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve sustainable economic growth. Other problems include widespread corruption, lack of a strong legal system, capital flight, and brain drain.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.2 trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 37% services: 56% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 40% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 33.5% (2001 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 39.9 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 21.9% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 71.3 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 10.8%, industry 27.8%, services 61.4% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (2001 est.), plus considerable underemployment
Budget: revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $43 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 835.572 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 66.14% hydro: 18.89% other: 0.31% (2000) nuclear: 14.66%
Electricity - consumption: 767.082 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 18 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 8 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Exports: $103.3 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
Exports - partners: Germany 9.0%, US 7.2%, Italy 7.0%, Belarus 5.4%,China 5.1%, Ukraine 4.9%, Netherlands (2000)
Imports: $51.7 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, grain, sugar, semifinished metal products
Imports - partners: Germany 11.5%, Belarus 11.1%, Ukraine 10.8%, US 8.0%,Kazakhstan 6.5%, Italy 3.6% (2000)
Debt - external: $157 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $8.523 billion (1995)
Currency: Russian ruble (RUR)
Currency code: RUR
Exchange rates: Russian rubles per US dollar - 30.4669 (January 2002), 29.1685 (2001), 28.1292 (2000), 24.6199 (1999), 9.7051 (1998), 5,785 (1997) note: 1998 rubles
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Russia
Telephones - main lines in use: 30 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.5 million (October 2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: the telephone system has undergone significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; however, a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density international: Russia is connected internationally by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
Radio broadcast stations: AM 420, FM 447, shortwave 56 (1998)
Radios: 61.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 7,306 (1998)
Televisions: 60.5 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ru
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 35 (2000)
Internet users: 9.2 million (2000)
Transportation Russia
Railways: total: 87,157 km broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km are electrified) narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (installed on Sakhalin Island) note: an additional 63,000 km of broad gauge routes serve specific industries and are not available for common carrier use (2002)
Highways: total: 952,000 km paved: 752,000 km (including about 336,000 km of conventionally paved roads, and about 416,000 km of roads with all-weather gravel surfaces) unpaved: 200,000 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1998)
Waterways: 95,900 km (total routes in general use) note: routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet - 95,900 km; routes with night navigational aids - 60,400 km; man-made navigable routes - 16,900 km (Jan 1994)
Pipelines: crude oil 48,000 km; petroleum products 15,000 km; natural gas 140,000 km (June 1993 est.)
Ports and harbors: Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan',De-Kastri, Indigirskiy, Kaliningrad, Kandalaksha, Kazan', Khabarovsk,Kholmsk, Krasnoyarsk, Lazarev, Mago, Mezen', Moscow, Murmansk, Nakhodka,Nevel'sk, Novorossiysk, Onega, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Rostov,Shakhtersk, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Taganrog, Tuapse, Uglegorsk, Vanino,Vladivostok, Volgograd, Vostochnyy, Vyborg
Merchant marine: total: 888 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,390,745 GRT/5,357,436 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 21, cargo 556, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 21, combination ore/oil 6, container 29, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 41, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 153, refrigerated cargo 22, roll on/roll off 20, short-sea passenger 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 9, Denmark 1, Estonia 4, Greece 3, Honduras 1, Latvia 4, Lithuania 3, Moldova 3, Netherlands 1, South Korea 1, Turkey 18, Turkmenistan 2, Ukraine 10, United Kingdom 5, United States 1 (2002 est.)