Population below poverty line:NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NAhighest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):7% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):25.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $44.85 millionexpenditures: $59.94 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages;agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate:NA
Electricity - production:90.31 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:83.99 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:1,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA
Oil - imports:NA
Current account balance:$-16.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports:$114.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Exports - partners:India 21.4%, Thailand 15.1%, UK 13.7%, France 12.9%, Germany 8.7%,Italy 7.5% (2004)
Imports:$180.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners:China 23.7%, Senegal 11.6%, Brazil 5.9%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.5%,US 4.4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$113.1 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:$476 million (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$45.4 million (1995)
Currency (code):dalasi (GMD)
Currency code:GMD
Exchange rates:dalasi per US dollar - 27.306 (2003), 27.306 (2003), 19.918 (2002),15.687 (2001), 12.788 (2000)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Gambia, The
Telephones - main lines in use:38,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:100,000 (2002)
Telephone system:general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network isavailabledomestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wireinternational: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links toSenegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:196,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:1 (government-owned) (1997)
Televisions:5,000 (2000)
Internet country code:.gm
Internet hosts:568 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2001)
Internet users:25,000 (2002)
Transportation Gambia, The
Highways: total: 2,700 km paved: 956 km unpaved: 1,744 km (1999)
Waterways:390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190km) (2004)
Ports and harbors:Banjul
Merchant marine:total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,976 GRT/10,978 DWTby type: passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1foreign-owned: 1 (Switzerland 1) (2005)
Airports:1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Gambia, The
Military branches:Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Presidential Guard,National Guard
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription(2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 309,279 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 188,117 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$1 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.3% (2004)
Transnational Issues Gambia, The
Disputes - international:attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, andother illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal'sCasamance region as well as from conflicts in other west Africanstates
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Gaza Strip
Introduction Gaza Strip
Background:The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-GovernmentArrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years ofPalestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the WestBank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers andresponsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes thePalestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part ofthe interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and GazaStrip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Stripand Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 CairoAgreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additionalareas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 ProtocolConcerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-SheikhAgreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibilityduring the transitional period for external and internal securityand for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Directnegotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bankbegan in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailedby a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. Theresulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,Israel's military response, and instability within the PalestinianAuthority continued to undermine progress toward a permanentagreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader YasirARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBASin January 2005 brought about a turning point in the conflict. InFebruary 2005 the Israeli Government voted to disengage from theGaza Strip by dismantling all Israeli settlements and removing allIsraeli settlers. This process was completed in September 2005.Nonetheless, Israel maintains offshore maritime control as well asairspace control. The future political status of the Gaza Strip hasyet to be determined.
Geography Gaza Strip
Location:Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt andIsrael
Geographic coordinates:31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 360 sq kmland: 360 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline:40 km
Maritime claims:Israeli-occupied with current status subject to theIsraeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to bedetermined through further negotiation
Climate:temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain:flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources:arable land, natural gas
Land use:arable land: 28.95%permanent crops: 21.05%other: 50% (2001)
Irrigated land:120 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:droughts
Environment - current issues:desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment;water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contaminationof underground water resources
Geography - note:there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in theGaza Strip (February 2002 est.)
People Gaza Strip
Population:1,376,289note: in addition, there are more than 5,000 Israeli settlers in theGaza Strip (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 48.5% (male 342,186/female 325,899)15-64 years: 48.8% (male 342,927/female 329,354)65 years and over: 2.6% (male 15,036/female 20,887) (2005 est.)
Median age:total: 15.65 yearsmale: 15.5 yearsfemale: 15.81 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:3.77% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:40.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:3.87 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 22.93 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 24.05 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 71.79 yearsmale: 70.5 yearsfemale: 73.15 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: NAadjective: NA
Ethnic groups:Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions:Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
Languages:Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),English (widely understood)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 91.9%male: 96.3%female: 87.4% (2003 est.)
Government Gaza Strip
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Economy Gaza Strip
Economy - overview:High population density, limited land access, and strict internaland external controls have kept economic conditions in the GazaStrip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority- even more degraded than in the West Bank. An anticipated Israeliwithdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 may offer some medium-termopportunities for economic growth. The beginning of the secondintifadah in September 2000 sparked an economic downturn, largelythe result of Israeli closure policies; these policies, which wereimposed in response to security interests in Israel, disrupted laborand commodity relationships with the Gaza Strip. In 2001, and evenmore severely in 2003, Israeli military measures in PalestinianAuthority areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant,the disruption of administrative structure, and widespread businessclosures. Including the West Bank, the UN estimates that more than100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israelor in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. International aidof $2 billion to Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 2004 prevented thecomplete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in thegovernment's financial operations. Meanwhile unemployment hascontinued at half the labor force. ARAFAT's death in 2004 leavesopen more political options that could affect the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$768 million (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $600 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services: 63% (includes West Bank) (2002 est.)
Labor force:725,000 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 14%, industry 19%, services 66% (2004)
Unemployment rate:50% (includes West Bank) (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:81% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NAhighest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.2% (includes West Bank) (2001 est.)
Budget:revenues: $676.6 millionexpenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of NA;note - these budget data include West Bank (2003)
Agriculture - products:olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Industries:generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap,olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelishave established some small-scale modern industries in an industrialcenter
Industrial production growth rate:NA
Electricity - production:NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel
Electricity - consumption:NA kWh
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel (2001)
Exports:$205 million f.o.b., includes West Bank (2002)
Exports - commodities:citrus, flowers
Exports - partners:Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Imports:$1.9 billion c.i.f., includes West Bank (2002)
Imports - commodities:food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners:Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Debt - external:$108 million (includes West Bank) (1997 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$2 billion (includes West Bank) (2004 est.)
Currency (code):new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Currency code:ILS
Exchange rates:new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003),4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Gaza Strip
Telephones - main lines in use: 95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 320,000 (cellular subscribers in both Gaza Strip and West Bank) (2002)
Telephone system:general assessment: NAdomestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open-wiresysteminternational: NA
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Television broadcast stations:2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation) (1997)
Televisions:NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions (1997)
Internet country code:.ps
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):3 (1999)
Internet users:60,000 (includes West Bank) (2001)
Transportation Gaza Strip
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports and harbors:Gaza
Airports:2 (2001)note: includes Gaza International Airport (GIA), inaugurated on 24November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the September 1995Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum; GIA hasbeen largely closed since October 2000 by Israeli orders and itsrunway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001(2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 1over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 1under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Heliports:1 (2004 est.)
Military Gaza Strip
Military branches:in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authorityis not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however,public security forces (2002)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Transnational Issues Gaza Strip
Disputes - international:West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current statussubject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanentstatus to be determined through further negotiation; Israelannounced its intention to pull out settlers and withdraw from theGaza Strip in 2005
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 922,674 (Palestinian Refugees(UNRWA)) (2004)
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Georgia
Introduction Georgia
Background:The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms ofColchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence inthe first centuries AD and Christianity became the state religion inthe 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by aGeorgian golden age (11th to the 13th centuries) that was cut shortby the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman andPersian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia wasabsorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independentfor three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it wasforcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolvedin 1991. Despite myriad problems, some progress on market reformsand democratization has been made since then. An attempt by thegovernment to manipulate legislative elections in November 2003touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation ofEduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his NationalMovement Party.
Geography Georgia
Location:Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey andRussia
Geographic coordinates:42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 69,700 sq kmland: 69,700 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:total: 1,461 kmborder countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,Turkey 252 km
Coastline:310 km
Maritime claims:NA
Climate:warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain:largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north andLesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (KolkhidaLowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin inthe east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills ofKolkhida Lowland
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Black Sea 0 mhighest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
Natural resources:forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minorcoal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for importanttea and citrus growth
Land use:arable land: 11.44%permanent crops: 3.86%other: 84.7% (2001)
Irrigated land:4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:earthquakes
Environment - current issues:air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of MtkvariRiver and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soilpollution from toxic chemicals
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, ClimateChange-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls muchof the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
People Georgia
Population:4,677,401 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 18% (male 444,779/female 398,162)15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,480,557/female 1,603,743)65 years and over: 16% (male 300,859/female 449,301) (2005 est.)
Median age:total: 37.36 yearsmale: 34.93 yearsfemale: 39.7 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:-0.35% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:10.25 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:9.09 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:-4.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.16 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 18.59 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 20.71 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 75.88 yearsmale: 72.59 yearsfemale: 79.67 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.41 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:3,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Georgian(s)adjective: Georgian
Ethnic groups:Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5%(2002 census)
Religions:Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%,Muslim 9.9%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)
Languages:Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 100%female: 98% (1999 est.)
Government Georgia
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Georgialocal long form: nonelocal short form: Sak'art'veloformer: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:republic
Capital:T'bilisi
Administrative divisions:9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoyrespubliki, singular - avtom respublika): regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti,Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti,Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli: cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, T'bilisi,Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi: autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is AvtonomiuriRespublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika(Bat'umi)note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics areshown in parentheses
Independence:9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date ofindependence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date ofindependence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:adopted 24 August 1995
Legal system:based on civil law system
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernment for the power ministries: state security (includesinterior) and defensehead of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January2004); Prime Minister Zurab NOGHAIDELI (since 17 February 2005);note - the president is the chief of state and head of governmentfor the power ministries: state security (includes interior) anddefense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries ofgovernmentcabinet: Cabinet of Ministerselections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent ofvote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%
Legislative branch:unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) orUmaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists); membersare elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)election results: percent of vote by party - NationalMovement-Democrats 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all otherparties received less than 7% each; seats by party - NationalMovement-Democrats 135, Rightist Opposition 15
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on thepresident's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and secondinstance courts
Political parties and leaders:Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front[Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG[Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; IndustryWill Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; LaborParty [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP[Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [MikheilSAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement andBurjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; NewRight [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David BERDZENISHVILI];Rightist Opposition [David GAMKRELIDZE] bloc composed ofIndustrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or SPG [IrakliMINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of NationalForces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile;separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA
International organization participation:BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZEchancery: Suite 602, 1101 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005telephone: [1] (202) 387-4537FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 0105 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 989-967/68 FAX: [995] (32) 933-759
Flag description:white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting allfour sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small redbolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back tothe 14th century
Economy Georgia
Economy - overview:Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation ofagricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, andgrapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a smallindustrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages,metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk ofits energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its onlysizable internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severedamage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, withthe help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economicgains since 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailinginflation. However, the Georgian Government has suffered fromlimited resources due to a chronic failure to collect tax revenues.Georgia's new government is making progress in reforming the taxcode, enforcing taxes, and cracking down on corruption. Georgia alsosuffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisielectricity distribution network in 1998, but payment collectionrates remain low, both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. Thecountry is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as atransit state for pipelines and trade. The construction on theBaku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gaspipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$14.45 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:9.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.5% industry: 22.6% services: 56.9% (2004 est.)
Labor force:2.1 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:17% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:37.1 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):5.5% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):18.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $671.7 millionexpenditures: $804.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA(2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock
Industries:steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining(manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate:3% (2000)
Electricity - production:6.732 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 19.7% hydro: 80.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:6.811 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:300 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:850 million kWh (2002)
Oil - production:2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:31,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA
Oil - imports:NA
Natural gas - production:60 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:1.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:1.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:$-632.9 million (2004 est.)
Exports:$909.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits,tea, wine
Exports - partners:Turkey 18.3%, Turkmenistan 17.8%, Russia 16.2%, Armenia 8.4%, UK4.9% (2004)
Imports:$1.806 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and otherfoods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:Russia 14%, Turkey 11%, UK 9.3%, Azerbaijan 8.5%, Germany 8.2%,Ukraine 7.7%, US 6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$231.4 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:$1.8 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:ODA $150 million (2000 est.)
Currency (code):lari (GEL)
Currency code:GEL
Exchange rates:lari per US dollar - 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002),2.073 (2001), 1.9762 (2000)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Georgia
Telephones - main lines in use:650,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:522,300 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: NAdomestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephonenetworks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; ruraltelephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilitiesinclude a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;nationwide pager service is availableinternational: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working ona fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); presentinternational service is available by microwave, landline, andsatellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mailand telex service are available
Radio broadcast stations:AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:3.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:2.57 million (1997)
Internet country code:.ge
Internet hosts:5,160 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):6 (2000)
Internet users:150,500 (2003)
Transportation Georgia
Railways:total: 1,612 km (1,612 km electrified)broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2004)
Highways:total: 20,229 kmpaved: 18,914 kmunpaved: 1,315 km (2002)
Pipelines:gas 1,697 km; oil 1,027 km; refined products 232 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Bat'umi, P'ot'i
Merchant marine:total: 175 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 855,908 GRT/1,288,812 DWTby type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 133, container 3, liquefied gas 1,passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 6, refrigeratedcargo 4, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1foreign-owned: 105 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Cyprus 2, Egypt 3,Estonia 1, Germany 1, Greece 4, Israel 1, Lebanon 3, Romania 6,Russia 8, Syria 27, Turkey 14, Ukraine 30, UAE 2)registered in other countries: 1 (2005)
Airports:30 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
Heliports:2 (2004 est.)
Transportation - note:transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnicconflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacksmaintenance and repair
Military Georgia
Military branches:Ground Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air DefenseForces, Maritime Defense Force, Interior Forces
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 1,038,736 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 827,281 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males: 38,857 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$23 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.59% (FY00)
Military - note:a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in theAbkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observergroup; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational Issues Georgia
Disputes - international:Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border,leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundaryunresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as thePankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia;UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping forcein Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout theformer Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armeniaremains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region ofGeorgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government;Azerbaijan and Georgia cannot resolve the alignment of theirboundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2004)
Illicit drugs:limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly fordomestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates viaCentral Asia to Western Europe and Russia
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Germany
Introduction Germany
Background:As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germanyremains a key member of the continent's economic, political, anddefense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany intwo devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century andleft the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US,UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of theCold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western FederalRepublic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic(GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economicand security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-ledWarsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold Warallowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany hasexpended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wagesup to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EUcountries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Geography Germany
Location:Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, betweenthe Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates:51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 357,021 sq kmland: 349,223 sq kmwater: 7,798 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:total: 3,621 kmborder countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline:2,389 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain:lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 mhighest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
Natural resources:coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium,potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 33.85% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 65.56% (2001)
Irrigated land:4,850 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:flooding
Environment - current issues:emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute toair pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions,is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage andindustrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous wastedisposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use ofnuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EUcommitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with theEU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:strategic location on North European Plain and along the entranceto the Baltic Sea
People Germany
Population:82,431,390 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 14.4% (male 6,078,885/female 5,766,065)15-64 years: 66.7% (male 28,006,268/female 27,003,958)65 years and over: 18.9% (male 6,359,776/female 9,216,438) (2005est.)
Median age: total: 42.16 years male: 40.88 years female: 43.53 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:0% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:8.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:10.55 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 4.16 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 4.61 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.65 yearsmale: 75.66 yearsfemale: 81.81 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.39 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:43,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: German(s)adjective: German
Ethnic groups:German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek,Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
Religions:Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated orother 28.3%
Languages:German
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99% (1997 est.)male: NA%female: NA%
Government Germany
Country name:conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germanyconventional short form: Germanylocal long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschlandlocal short form: Deutschlandformer: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Government type:federal republic
Capital:Berlin
Administrative divisions:13 states (Laender, singular - Land) and 3 free states*(Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern*,Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen*, Sachsen-Anhalt,Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen*
Independence:18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into fourzones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or WestGermany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, andFrench zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
National holiday:Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Constitution:23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the unitedGerman people 3 October 1990
Legal system:civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review oflegislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has notaccepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October1998); Vice Chancellor Joschka FISCHER (since 17 October 1998)cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed bythe president on the recommendation of the chancellorelections: president elected for a five-year term by a FederalConvention including all members of the Federal Assembly and anequal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; electionlast held 23 May 2004 (next to be held 23 May 2009); chancellorelected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for afour-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to beheld September 2006)election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN;Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assemblyvote 50.7%
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assemblyor Bundestag (613 seats; elected by popular vote under a systemcombining direct and proportional representation; a party must win5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gainrepresentation; members serve four-year terms) and the FederalCouncil or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directlyrepresented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on populationand are required to vote as a block)elections: Federal Assembly - last held 18 September 2005 (next tobe held September 2009); note - there are no elections for theBundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of thestate-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has thepotential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an electionelection results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -CDU/CSU 35.2%, SPD 34.3%, FDP 9.8%, Left 8.7%, Greens 8.1%; seats byparty - CDU/CSU 225, SPD 222, FDP 61, Left 54, Greens 51; FederalCouncil - current composition - NA
Judicial branch:Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half thejudges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)
Political parties and leaders:Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian SocialUnion or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party orFDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party or PDS/WASG [OskarLAFONTAINE and Gregor GYSI]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS[Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]
Political pressure groups and leaders:business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee,trade unions, and veterans groups
International organization participation:AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE,CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10,IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, ParisClub, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK,UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
Economy Germany
Economy - overview:Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifthlargest in the world - has become one of the slowest growingeconomies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offingin the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%,rising to 1.7% in 2004. The modernization and integration of theeastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process,with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70billion. Germany's aging population, combined with highunemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a levelexceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in thelabor market - including strict regulations on laying off workersand the setting of wages on a national basis - have madeunemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growingcapital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germanyto meet the long-term challenges of European economic integrationand globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities arefurther addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in governmentrevenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit abovethe EU's 3% debt limit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.362 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:1.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 31% services: 68% (2002 est.)
Labor force:42.63 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4%, services 63.8% (1999)
Unemployment rate:10.6% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:30 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):1.6% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):17.6% of GDP (2004)
Budget:revenues: $1.2 trillionexpenditures: $1.3 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA(2004 est.)
Public debt:65.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle,pigs, poultry
Industries:among the world's largest and most technologically advancedproducers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages;shipbuilding; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:2.2% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:560 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 61.8% hydro: 4.2% nuclear: 29.9% other: 4.1% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:519.5 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:53.8 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:45.8 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:74,100 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - consumption:2.891 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - exports:12,990 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports:2.135 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:395.8 million bbl (1 January 2004)
Natural gas - production:21 billion cu m (2003)
Natural gas - consumption:99.55 billion cu m (2003)
Natural gas - exports:7.731 billion cu m (2003)