Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSONchancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118
Flag description:blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges ofthe flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoistside in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy Iceland
Economy - overview:Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yetwith an extensive welfare system (including generous housingsubsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution ofincome. In the absence of other natural resources (except forabundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on thefishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs4% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to decliningfish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its mainexports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon.Government policies include reducing the current account deficit,limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revisingagricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. Thegovernment remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because ofIcelanders' concern about losing control over their fishingresources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying intomanufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and newdevelopments in software production, biotechnology, and financialservices are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding,with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth hadbeen remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not besustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growthresumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007,slowly dropping until the end of the decade.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$10.59 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$13.05 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$35,700 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.6% industry: 15% services: 76.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 165,900 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10.3% industry: 18.3% services: 71.4% (2003)
Unemployment rate:2.1% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):28.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $6.995 billionexpenditures: $6.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $467million (2005 est.)
Public debt:31.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, dairy products; fish
Industries:fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production;geothermal power, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:14.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:8.619 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)
Electricity - consumption:8.619 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:17,280 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:0 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:15,470 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$-2.607 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$3.215 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products,ferrosilicon, diatomite
Exports - partners:UK 17.9%, Germany 16.4%, Netherlands 13%, US 8.1%, Spain 7.7%,Denmark 4.3% (2005)
Imports:$4.582 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners:Germany 13.4%, US 9.1%, Sweden 8.6%, Denmark 7.3%, Norway 7.2%, UK5.9%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.069 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$3.073 billion (2002)
Economic aid - donor:$6.7 million $NA
Currency (code):Icelandic krona (ISK)
Currency code:ISK
Exchange rates:Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004),76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Iceland
Telephones - main lines in use:193,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:304,000 (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: extensive domestic servicedomestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-opticcables and microwave radio relay linksinternational: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Oceanregions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with theother Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:260,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:98,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.is
Internet hosts:212,897 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):20 (2001)
Internet users:258,000 (2005)
Transportation Iceland
Airports: 98 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 5over 3,047 m: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 931,524 to 2,437 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 29under 914 m: 61 (2006)
Roadways:total: 13,028 kmpaved/oiled gravel: 4,241 km (does not include urban roads)unpaved: 8,787 km (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 3,354 GRT/480 DWTby type: passenger/cargo 1registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Bahamas 1,Belize 2, Faroe Islands 4, Gibraltar 1, Malta 4, Norway 4, SaintVincent and the Grenadines 10) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik,Seydhisfjordhur
Military Iceland
Military branches:no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic CoastGuard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan) subordinate to Ministry ofJustice, Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (2006)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 69,038 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 56,777 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:0
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0%
Military - note:under a 1951 bilateral agreement, Iceland's defense was provided bya US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered in Keflavik;in October 2006, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn;nonetheless, the US and Iceland signed a Joint Understanding tostrengthen their bilateral defense relationship, including regularsecurity consultations, military communications in the event ofnational emergencies, annual bilateral exercises on Icelandicterritory, and future bilateral and NATO support to four Iceland AirDefense System (IADS) radar sites
Transnational Issues Iceland
Disputes - international:Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands'fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland disputeDenmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extendsbeyond 200 nm
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Iles Eparses
Introduction Iles Eparses
Background:The Iles Eparses, or scattered islands, are a group of five Frenchentities - Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan deNova Island, and Tromelin Island - which on 1 April 1960 came underthe authority of the Minister in charge of overseas possessions. On19 September 1960 by decree, the islands were transferred to thecharge of the Prefet of Reunion where they remained until 3 January2005 when they were transferred by another decree to the SeniorAdministrator of the Territory of the French Southern and AntarcticLands (TAAF).Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is avolcanic seamount surrounded by reefs and awash at high tide.Europa Island: A French possession since 1897, the island is heavilywooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs aweather station.Glorioso Islands: A French possession since 1892, the GloriosoIslands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (IleGlorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrisonoperates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.Juan de Nova Island: Named after a famous 15th century Spanishnavigator and explorer, the island has been a French possessionsince 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorologicalstation.Tromelin Island: First explored by the French in 1776, the islandcame under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, itserves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an importantmeteorological station.
Geography Iles Eparses
Location:Southern Africa, in the Indian OceanBassas da India: atoll in the southern Mozambique Channel, abouthalf way from Madagascar to MozambiqueEuropa Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about half waybetween southern Madagascar and southern MozambiqueGlorioso Islands: group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest ofMadagascarJuan de Nova Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, aboutone-third of the way between Madagascar and MozambiqueTromelin Island: island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:Bassas da India: 21 30 S, 39 50 EEuropa Island: 22 20 S, 40 22 EGlorioso Islands: 11 30 S, 47 20 EJuan de Nova Island: 17 03 S, 42 45 ETromelin Island: 15 52 S, 54 25 E
Map references:Africa
Area:Bassas da India: total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8sq km (lagoon)Europa Island: total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq kmGlorioso Islands: total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq kmJuan de Nova Island: total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0sq kmTromelin Island: total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Area - comparative:Bassas da India: land area about one-third the size of The Mall inWashington, DCEuropa Island: about one-sixth the size of Washington, DCGlorioso Islands: about eight times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCJuan de Nova Island: about seven times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCTromelin Island: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Land boundaries:none
Coastline:Bassas da India: 35.2 kmEuropa Island: 22.2 kmGlorioso Islands: 35.2 kmJuan de Nova Island: 24.1 kmTromelin Island: 3.7 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm; note - Juan de Nova Island andTromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to thedepth of exploitation
Climate:tropical
Terrain:Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoonEuropa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, andsandyTromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point: Bassas da India 2.4 m; Europa Island 24 m; GloriosoIslands 12 m; Juan de Nova Island 10 m; Tromelin Island 7 m (allunnamed locations)
Natural resources:Bassas da India and Europa Island: noneGlorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island: guano, phosphates; coconutsTromelin Island: fish
Land use:Bassas da India - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island -100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands - 100% lushvegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island - 90% forest, 10%other; Tromelin Island - 100% grasses and scattered brush
Natural hazards:all islands subject to periodic cyclonesBassas da India: maritime hazard since it is under water for aperiod of three hours prior to and following the high tide andsurrounded by reefs
Geography - note:Bassas da India: the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop along-extinct, submerged volcanoEuropa Island and Juan de Nova Island: wildlife sanctuary forseabirds and sea turtlesGlorioso Islands: the islands and rocks are surrounded by anextensive reef systemTromelin Island: climatologically important location for forecastingcyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds,tortoises)
People Iles Eparses
Population:Bassas da India: uninhabitableEuropa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: a small Frenchmilitary garrison and a few meteorologists on each possession;visited by scientistsTromelin Island: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists
Government Iles Eparses
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Bassas da India, Europa Island, GloriosoIslands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin Islandlocal long form: nonelocal short form: Bassas da India, Ile Europa, Iles Glorieuses, IleJuan de Nova, Ile Tromelin
Dependency status:possessions of France; administered by the Senior Administrator ofthe Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF),resident in Reunion
Legal system:the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON
Flag description:the flag of France is used
Economy Iles Eparses
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Communications Iles Eparses
Communications - note:Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, TromelinIsland: 1 meteorological station on each possession; note -meteorological station on Tromelin Island is important forforecasting cyclones
Transportation Iles Eparses
Airports:4 (2006)
Ports and terminals:none; offshore anchorage only
Transportation - note:aids to navigation - lighthouses: Europa Island 18m; Juan de NovaIsland (W side) 37m; Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m
Military Iles Eparses
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Iles Eparses
Disputes - international:Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de NovaIsland: claimed by MadagascarTromelin Island: claimed by Mauritius
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@India
Introduction India
Background:The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwestinfiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 B.C.; their merger with theearlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture.Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12thwere followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed politicalcontrol of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in theBritish army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolentresistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI andJawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent wasdivided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim stateof Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resultedin East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despiteimpressive gains in economic investment and output, India facespressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan overKashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation,extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
Geography India
Location:Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 3,287,590 sq kmland: 2,973,190 sq kmwater: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:total: 14,103 kmborder countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline:7,000 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain alongthe Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources:coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use:arable land: 48.83%permanent crops: 2.8%other: 48.37% (2005)
Irrigated land:558,080 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructiveflooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; airpollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; waterpollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tapwater is not potable throughout the country; huge and growingpopulation is overstraining natural resources
Environment - international agreements:party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, ClimateChange-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, OzoneLayer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, TropicalTimber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Oceantrade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world,lies on the border with Nepal
People India
Population:1,095,351,995 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 30.8% (male 173,478,760/female 163,852,827)15-64 years: 64.3% (male 363,876,219/female 340,181,764)65 years and over: 4.9% (male 27,258,020/female 26,704,405) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 24.9 years male: 24.9 years female: 24.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.38% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:22.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:8.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 54.63 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 55.18 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 54.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 64.71 yearsmale: 63.9 yearsfemale: 65.57 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:5.1 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:310,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,and typhoid fevervectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japaneseencephalitis are high risks in some locationsanimal contact disease: rabies (2005)
Nationality:noun: Indian(s)adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups:Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%,unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages:English enjoys associate status but is the most important languagefor national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is thenational language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri,Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urduspoken widely throughout northern India but is not an officiallanguage
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 59.5%male: 70.2%female: 48.3% (2003 est.)
Government India
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Indiaconventional short form: Indialocal long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajyalocal short form: India/Bharat
Government type:federal republic
Capital:name: New Delhigeographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 Etime difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa,Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab,Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal,West Bengal
Independence:15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday:Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Constitution:26 January 1950; amended many times
Legal system:based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislativeacts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 25 July 2002);Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation ofthe prime ministerelections: president elected by an electoral college consisting ofelected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures ofthe states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last heldJuly 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected byboth houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosenby parliamentary members of the majority party following legislativeelections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May2009)election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent ofelectoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vicepresident; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States orRajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosenby the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by thepresident; members serve five-year terms)elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May2004 (next must be held before May 2009)election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24, BSP 19,DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5,TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices areappointed by the president and remain in office until they reach theage of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
Political parties and leaders:note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties;only parties with four or more seats in the People's Assembly arelisted; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya JanataParty or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [NaveenPATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu BhushanBARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) [PrakashKARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; IndianNational Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) orJD(U) [Sharad YADEV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN];Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; MarumalarchiDravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKU]; Nationalist CongressParty or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S.RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV];Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal orSAD [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrasekhar RAO]; TeluguDesam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]
Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast
International organization participation: AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SENchancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORDembassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021mailing address: use embassy street addresstelephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai(Bombay)
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered inthe white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a smallorange disk centered in the white band
Economy India
Economy - overview:India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming,modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries,and a multitude of services. Services are the major source ofeconomic growth, accounting for half of India's output with lessthan one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of thework-force is in agriculture, leading the UPA government toarticulate an economic reform program that includes developing basicinfrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boosteconomic performance. Government controls on foreign trade andinvestment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs(averaging 20% on non-agricultural items in 2004) and limits onforeign direct investment are still in place. The government in 2005liberalized investment in the civil aviation, telecom, andconstruction sectors. Privatization of government-owned industriesessentially came to a halt in 2005, and continues to generatepolitical debate; continued social, political, and economicrigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted anaverage growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1994,reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 7.6%GDP growth in 2005, significantly expanding manufacturing. India iscapitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled inthe English language to become a major exporter of software servicesand software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank andothers worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit,running at approximately 9% of GDP; government borrowing has keptinterest rates high. Economic deregulation would help attractadditional foreign capital and lower interest rates. The huge andgrowing population is the fundamental social, economic, andenvironmental problem.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$3.666 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$719.8 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:8.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$3,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.6% industry: 27.6% services: 53.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 496.4 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 60% industry: 17% services: 23% (1999)
Unemployment rate:8.9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:25% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:32.5 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4.2% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):28.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $111.2 billionexpenditures: $135.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $15billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:53.8% of GDP (federal and state debt combined) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
Industries:textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportationequipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
Industrial production growth rate:7.9% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:556.8 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:519 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:187 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:1.4 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:785,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:2.32 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:350,000 bbl/day
Oil - imports:2.09 million bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:5.7 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:27.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:27.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:853.5 billion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:$-12.95 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$76.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,leather manufactures
Exports - partners:US 16.7%, UAE 8.5%, China 6.6%, Singapore 5.3%, UK 4.9%, Hong Kong4.4% (2005)
Imports:$113.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports - partners:China 7.3%, US 5.6%, Switzerland 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$136 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$125.5 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$2.9 billion (FY98/99)
Currency (code):Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:INR
Exchange rates:Indian rupees per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 April - 31 March
Communications India
Telephones - main lines in use:49.75 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:69,193,321 (2006)
Telephone system:general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization oftelecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;local and long distance service provided throughout all regions ofthe country, with services primarily concentrated in the urbanareas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admissionof private and private-public investors, but telephone densityremains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but onlyone per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list ofover 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modestgrowth in fixed linesdomestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak inrural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramaticreductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobilecellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 andorganized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecomcircles each with about three private service providers and onestate-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunkcapacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of theworld's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian NationalSatellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000very small aperture terminals (VSAT)international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); ninegateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata(Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic LinkAround the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), SouthAfrica - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linkingto Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai(Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for bothvoice and data traffic (2004)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)
Radios:116 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)
Televisions:63 million (1997)
Internet country code:.in
Internet hosts:1,543,289 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):43 (2000)
Internet users:60 million (2005)
Transportation India
Airports: 341 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 243 over 3,047 m: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 81 under 914 m: 21 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 48 (2006)
Heliports:28 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate/gas 8 km; gas 5,184 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,993 km;oil 6,500 km; refined products 6,152 km (2006)
Railways:total: 63,230 kmbroad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge (16,528 km electrified)narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,106 km0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 3,851,440 kmpaved: 2,411,001 kmunpaved: 1,440,439 km (2002)
Waterways:14,500 kmnote: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable formechanized vessels (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 316 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,772,313 GRT/13,310,858 DWTby type: bulk carrier 96, cargo 72, chemical tanker 13, container 8,liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker96, roll on/roll off 1foreign-owned: 10 (China 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 1)registered in other countries: 46 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 5,North Korea 1, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Mauritius 2, Panama 19, SaintVincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1)(2006)
Ports and terminals:Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam
Military India
Military branches:Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border SecurityForce, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan BorderPolice, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, andDefense Security Corps)
Military service age and obligation:16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 287,551,111females age 16-49: 268,524,835 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 219,471,999females age 16-49: 209,917,553 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 11,446,452females age 16-49: 10,665,877 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$19.04 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.5% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues India
Disputes - international:since China and India launched a security and foreign policydialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the disputeover most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclearproliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles toPakistan, and other matters continue; various talks andconfidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defusetensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site ofthe world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute withportions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin),India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and NorthernAreas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire inKashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highlymilitarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on theimpact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar Dam on theChenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration;UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) hasmaintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does notrecognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964;disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; todefuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary,in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputedboundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch;Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian GujaratState; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a smallsection of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves inboth countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegalcross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terroriststhrough the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts tofence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute withBangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bayof Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seekscooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assamseparatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; JointBorder Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputedboundary sections; India maintains a strict border regime to keepout Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activitiesfrom Nepal
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 57,274 (SriLanka) 9,761 (Afghanistan)IDPs: 600,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami); 500,000(Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri Hindus) (2005)
Trafficking in persons:current situation: India is a source, destination, and transitcountry for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes offorced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the largepopulation of men, women, and children - numbering in the millions -in debt bondage face involuntary servitude in brick kilns, ricemills, and embroidery factories, while some children endureinvoluntary servitude as domestic servants; internal trafficking ofwomen and girls for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitationand forced marriage also occurs; the government estimates that 90percent of India's sex trafficking is internal; India is also adestination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh traffickedfor the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; boys fromAfghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are trafficked through Indiato the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys;Indian men and women migrate willingly to the Persian Gulf regionfor work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, but somelater find themselves in situations of involuntary servitudeincluding extended working hours, nonpayment of wages, restrictionson their movement by withholding of their passports or confinementto the home, and physical or sexual abusetier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India has been on the Tier 2 WatchList since 2004 for its failure to show evidence of increasingefforts to address trafficking in persons
Illicit drugs:world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceuticaltrade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicitinternational drug markets; transit point for illicit narcoticsproduced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Indian Ocean
Introduction Indian Ocean
Background:The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans(after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than theSouthern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important accesswaterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait ofMalacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the InternationalHydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifthocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Oceansouth of 60 degrees south latitude.
Geography Indian Ocean
Location:body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, andAustralia
Geographic coordinates:20 00 S, 80 00 E
Map references:Political Map of the World
Area:total: 68.556 million sq kmnote: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait ofMalacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:about 5.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:66,526 km
Climate:northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June toOctober); tropical cyclones occur during May/June andOctober/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/Februaryin the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain:surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular systemof currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal ofsurface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmosphericpressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results inthe southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winterair results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwestwinds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian OceanRidge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, SouthwestIndian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 mhighest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
Natural hazards:occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches
Environment - current issues:endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, andwhales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea
Geography - note:major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Straitof Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait
Economy Indian Ocean
Economy - overview:The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the MiddleEast, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carriesa particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum productsfrom the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish areof great and growing importance to the bordering countries fordomestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly forshrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped inthe offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and westernAustralia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil productioncomes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals andoffshore placer deposits are actively exploited by borderingcountries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,and Thailand.
Transportation Indian Ocean
Ports and terminals:Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (SouthAfrica), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne(Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)
Transnational Issues Indian Ocean
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Indonesia
Introduction Indonesia
Background:The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century;the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesiadeclared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it requiredfour years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, andUN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to theworld's largest Muslim population. Current issues include:alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracyafter four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financialsector reforms, stemming corruption, and holding the military andpolice accountable for human rights violations. Indonesia was thenation worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which particularlyaffected Aceh province causing over 100,000 deaths and over $4billion in damage. An additional earthquake in March 2005 createdheavy destruction on the island of Nias. Reconstruction in theseareas may take up to a decade. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historicpeace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, but it continues toface a low intensity separatist guerilla movement in Papua.
Geography Indonesia
Location:Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and thePacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:5 00 S, 120 00 E
Map references:Southeast Asia
Area:total: 1,919,440 sq kmland: 1,826,440 sq kmwater: 93,000 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:total: 2,830 kmborder countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua NewGuinea 820 km
Coastline:54,716 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m
Natural resources:petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Land use: arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Irrigated land:45,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,volcanoes, forest fires
Environment - current issues:deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; airpollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator;strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from IndianOcean to Pacific Ocean
People Indonesia
Population:245,452,739 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 28.8% (male 35,995,919/female 34,749,582)15-64 years: 65.8% (male 80,796,794/female 80,754,238)65 years and over: 5.4% (male 5,737,473/female 7,418,733) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 26.8 yearsmale: 26.4 yearsfemale: 27.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.41% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:20.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 34.39 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 39.36 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 29.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 69.87 yearsmale: 67.42 yearsfemale: 72.45 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:2,400 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fevervectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya arehigh risks in some locationsnote: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; duringoutbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens whohave close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)
Nationality:noun: Indonesian(s)adjective: Indonesian
Ethnic groups:Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%,other 26%
Religions:Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist1%, other 1% (1998)
Languages:Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English,Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 87.9%male: 92.5%female: 83.4% (2002 est.)
Government Indonesia