GDP (purchasing power parity):$94.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$46.5 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:-3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.3% industry: 66.6% services: 26.1% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 7.4 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:25% to 30% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):33% (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $19.3 billionexpenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5billion (2005 budget)
Agriculture - products:wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep,poultry
Industries:petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials,food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:31.7 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.4% hydro: 1.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:33.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:2.02 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production:2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.03million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:351,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:1.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:112.5 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:1.5 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:1.5 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:3.115 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:$-9.447 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:$17.78 billion f.o.b. (2004)
Exports - commodities:crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food andlive animals (5.0%)
Exports - partners:US 49.3%, Italy 10.3%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 5.6% (2005)
Imports:$19.57 billion f.o.b. (2004)
Imports - commodities:food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners:Turkey 23.2%, Syria 23%, US 11.6%, Jordan 5.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$9.161 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$92.33 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)
Currency (code):New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004
Currency code:NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004
Exchange rates:New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half,2003), 0.3109 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Iraq
Telephones - main lines in use:1,034,200 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:574,000 (2004)
Telephone system:general assessment: the 2003 war severely disruptedtelecommunications throughout Iraq including internationalconnections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capabilityand the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilitiesdomestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003war continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switchingcapacity is improving access; cellular service is available andcentered on three regional GSM networks, improving country-wideconnectivityinternational: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cableand microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside ofBaghdad remain problematic
Radio broadcast stations: after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)
Radios:4.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:21 (2004)
Televisions:1.75 million (1997)
Internet country code:.iq
Internet hosts:5 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:36,000 (2005)
Transportation Iraq
Airports: 110 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 77over 3,047 m: 202,438 to 3,047 m: 371,524 to 2,437 m: 5914 to 1,523 m: 6under 914 m: 9 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 33over 3,047 m: 22,438 to 3,047 m: 41,524 to 2,437 m: 4914 to 1,523 m: 13under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Heliports:8 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refinedproducts 1,637 km (2006)
Railways:total: 2,200 kmstandard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 45,550 kmpaved: 38,399 kmunpaved: 7,151 km (1999)
Waterways:5,279 kmnote: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and ThirdRiver (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)
Merchant marine:total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWTby type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)
Ports and terminals:Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr
Military Iraq
Military branches:Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular Army (includes Iraqi SpecialOperations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (formerIraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army AirCorps) (2005)
Military service age and obligation: all volunteer force; the Iraqi Government is creating a new professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2006)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 5,870,640females age 18-49: 5,642,073 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 4,930,074females age 18-49: 4,771,105 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 198,518females age 18-49: 289,879 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$1.34 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Transnational Issues Iraq
Disputes - international:coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security;Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdictiondisputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf;Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 22,711 (Palestinian Territories) IDPs: 1 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Ireland
Introduction Ireland
Background:Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasionsby Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally endedwhen King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasionsbegan in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries ofAnglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harshrepressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched offseveral years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted inindependence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern(Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrewfrom the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification ofIreland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. Apeace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good FridayAgreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with somedifficulties.
Geography Ireland
Location:Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland inthe North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates:53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 70,280 sq kmland: 68,890 sq kmwater: 1,390 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mildwinters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half thetime
Terrain:mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hillsand low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
Natural resources:natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,limestone, dolomite
Land use:arable land: 16.82%permanent crops: 0.03%other: 83.15% (2005)
Irrigated land:NA
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, ClimateChange-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: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:strategic location on major air and sea routes between NorthAmerica and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resideswithin 100 km of Dublin
People Ireland
Population:4,062,235 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 34 yearsmale: 33.2 yearsfemale: 34.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.15% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:14.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.73 yearsmale: 75.11 yearsfemale: 80.52 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:2,800 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)adjective: Irish
Ethnic groups:Celtic, English
Religions:Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)
Languages:English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official)(Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the westernseaboard
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government Ireland
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire
Government type:republic, parliamentary democracy
Capital:name: Dublingeographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklownote: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province
Independence:6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
National holiday:Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution:adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937
Legal system:based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenousconcepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; hasnot accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nominationby the prime minister and approval of the House of Representativeselections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term(eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997(next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed toa second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by theHouse of Representatives and appointed by the presidentelection results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the ProgressiveDemocrats
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or SeanadEireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and fromcandidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominatedby the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the Houseof Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are electedby popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to servefive-year terms)elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be heldby July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002(next to be held by May 2007)election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats byparty - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, ProgressiveDemocrats 4, independents and other 6; House of Representatives -percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, LaborParty 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party3.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6,other 14
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice ofthe prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party[Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats[Michael McDOWELL]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [JoeHIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU,WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEYchancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. FOLEYembassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4mailing address: use embassy street addresstelephone: [353] (1) 668-8777FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946
Flag description:three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, andorange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter andhas the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green;also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colorsof green (hoist side), white, and red
Economy Ireland
Economy - overview:Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growthaveraging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the mostimportant sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industryaccounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the laborforce. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland'sgrowth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumerspending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is10% above that of the four big European economies and the secondhighest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the IrishGovernment has implemented a series of national economic programsdesigned to curb price and wage inflation, reduce governmentspending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreigninvestment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002along with 11 other EU nations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$165.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$188.4 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$41,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 2.03 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 64% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:4.3% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:10% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 2%highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:35.9 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):27% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $70.46 billionexpenditures: $69.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.5billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:26.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products
Industries:steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum miningprocessing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passengerand commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glassand crystal; software, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:3% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:23.41 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 95.9% hydro: 2.3% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:22.97 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:1.2 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:175,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:27,450 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:178,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:673 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:4.298 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:3.384 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:19.82 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-3.833 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$102 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;live animals, animal products
Exports - partners:US 18.7%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.2%, Germany 7.4%, France 6.4%,Netherlands 4.8% (2005)
Imports:$65.47 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners:UK 37%, US 13.8%, Germany 9.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$869.3 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$1.049 trillion (30 June 2005)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $607 million (2004)
Currency (code):euro (EUR)note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced theeuro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions ofmember countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the solecurrency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:EUR
Exchange rates:euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Ireland
Telephones - main lines in use:2.033 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:4.21 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwaveradio relaydomestic: microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:2.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:1.82 million (2001)
Internet country code:.ie
Internet hosts:238,191 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):22 (2000)
Internet users:2.06 million (2005)
Transportation Ireland
Airports: 36 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 1,728 km (2006)
Railways:total: 3,312 kmbroad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish PeatBoard to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)(2005)
Roadways: total: 95,736 km paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways) (2002)
Waterways:753 km (pleasure craft only) (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 103,589 GRT/145,044 DWTby type: cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1foreign-owned: 4 (Germany 2, US 2)registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Cyprus 3,Gibraltar 1, Netherlands 10, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines 1, UK 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Cork, Dublin, New Ross, Shannon Foynes, Waterford
Military Ireland
Military branches:Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes NavalService and Air Corps) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under theage of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 17-49: 977,092females age 17-49: 978,465 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 17-49: 814,768females age 17-49: 813,981 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 29,327females age 17-49: 28,139 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$700 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.9% (FY00/01)
Transnational Issues Ireland
Disputes - international:Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the FaroeIslands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Illicit drugs:transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africato the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined forWestern Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related moneylaundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companiesinvolving the offshore financial community - remains a concern
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Isle of Man
Introduction Isle of Man
Background:Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13thcentury when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under theBritish crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almostextinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crowndependency, but is not part of the UK.
Geography Isle of Man
Location:Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain andIreland
Geographic coordinates:54 15 N, 4 30 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 572 sq kmland: 572 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:160 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-thirdof the time
Terrain:hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Natural resources:none
Land use:arable land: 9%permanent crops: 0%other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)(2002)
Irrigated land:0 sq km
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary airpollution
Geography - note:one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is abird sanctuary
People Isle of Man
Population:75,441 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350)15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678)65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 39.6 yearsmale: 38.4 yearsfemale: 41 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.52% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:11.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:11.19 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.49 yearsmale: 75.14 yearsfemale: 82.02 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups:Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton
Religions:Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Societyof Friends
Languages:English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Isle of Man
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Isle of Man
Dependency status:British crown dependency
Government type:parliamentary democracy
Capital:name: Douglasgeographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 28 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as definedby the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each withits own elections
Independence:none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:Tynwald Day, 5 July
Constitution:unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does notembody the unwritten Manx Constitution
Legal system:English common law and Manx statute
Suffrage:16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS(since 17 October 2005)head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December2004)cabinet: Council of Ministerselections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointedby the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is electedby the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be heldDecember 2006)election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by theTynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004
Legislative branch:bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-memberbody composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodorand Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight others named by theHouse of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are electedby popular vote to serve five-year terms)elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to beheld November 2006)election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - ManLabor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seatsby party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,independents 19
Judicial branch:High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the LordChancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Political parties and leaders:Alliance for Progressive Government; Man Labor Party; ManNationalist Party (branch of the British National Party)note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:none
International organization participation:UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; inorder to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag,a two-sided emblem is used
Economy Isle of Man
Economy - overview:Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of theeconomy. The government offers incentives to high-technologycompanies and financial institutions to locate on the island; thishas paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-incomeindustries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstaysof the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade ismostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.113 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$2.26 billion
GDP - real growth rate:6.3% NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):$27,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.)
Labor force:39,690 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale andretail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%
Unemployment rate:0.6% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.7% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $485 millionexpenditures: $463 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(FY00/01 est.)
Agriculture - products:cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Industries:financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:3.2% (FY96/97)
Exports:$NA
Exports - commodities:tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
Exports - partners:UK (2004)
Imports:$NA
Imports - commodities:timber, fertilizers, fish
Imports - partners:UK (2004)
Debt - external:$NA
Economic aid - recipient:$NA
Currency (code):British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound
Currency code:GBP
Exchange rates:Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 April - 31 March
Communications Isle of Man
Telephones - main lines in use:51,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:NA
Telephone system:general assessment: NAdomestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone systeminternational: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satelliteearth station, submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:NA
Television broadcast stations:0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
Televisions:27,490 (1999)
Internet country code:.im
Internet hosts:290 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):NA
Internet users:NA
Transportation Isle of Man
Airports: 1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Railways:total: 65 kmstandard guage: 7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified)narrow guage: 58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified)note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)
Roadways:total: 800 kmpaved: 800 km (1999)
Merchant marine:total: 305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229 GRT/13,792,927 DWTby type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 65, chemical tanker 53, container16, liquefied gas 38, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74,refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 1,vehicle carrier 5foreign-owned: 213 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 53, Estonia 2, France 2,Germany 56, Greece 45, Italy 5, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1,Norway 27, Singapore 7, Sweden 1, Turkey 3, US 3)registered in other countries: 9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5,Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey
Military Isle of Man
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Isle of Man
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Israel
Introduction Israel
Background:Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate ofPalestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewishstates, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, theIsraelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending thedeep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied byIsrael since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel countryprofile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrewfrom the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 aDeclaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guidingan interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorialand other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israelwithdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupiedsince 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the MadridConference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conductedbetween Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achievea permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working inconjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took thelead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflictby 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to twostates, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress towarda permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeliviolence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreementreached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reducedthe violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as thenew Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of YasirARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaismcoalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israelidisengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presentedan opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israelipolitical events between October and December 2005 have destabilizedthe political situation and forced early elections, scheduled forMarch 2006.
Geography Israel
Location:Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt andLebanon
Geographic coordinates:31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 20,770 sq kmland: 20,330 sq kmwater: 440 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:total: 1,017 kmborder countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:273 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;Jordan Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Dead Sea -408 mhighest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources:timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesiumbromide, clays, sand
Land use: arable land: 15.45% permanent crops: 3.88% other: 80.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,940 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodicearthquakes
Environment - current issues:limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose seriousconstraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial andvehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial anddomestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites inthe West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in theGaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea ofGalilee is an important freshwater source
People Israel
Population:6,352,117note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 29.6 yearsmale: 28.8 yearsfemale: 30.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.18% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:6.18 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: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 79.46 yearsmale: 77.33 yearsfemale: 81.7 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:3,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Israeli(s)adjective: Israeli
Ethnic groups:Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostlyArab) (2004)
Religions:Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Languages:Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 95.4%male: 97.3%female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Government Israel
Country name:conventional long form: State of Israelconventional short form: Israellocal long form: Medinat Yisra'ellocal short form: Yisra'el
Government type:parliamentary democracy
Capital:name: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capitalin 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains itsEmbassy in Tel Avivgeographic coordinates: 32 05 N, 34 48 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends theSunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Administrative divisions:6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under Britishadministration)
National holiday:Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declaredindependence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar andthe holiday may occur in April or May
Constitution:no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution arefilled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws ofthe parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system:mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, inpersonal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; inDecember 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would nolonger accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006);Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006)cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by theKnessetelections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected bythe Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limits); election lastheld 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislativeelections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionallythe leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governingcoalitionelection results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-memberKnesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARONcontinued as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalitiongovernment with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and theNational Union; controversy surrounding SHARON's disengagement planultimately led to the formation of a Likud-Labor-United TorahJudaism (UTJ) coalition government in January 2005
Legislative branch:unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote toserve four-year terms)elections: last held 29 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in2010)election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United ArabList 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee -made up of all three branches of the government; mandatoryretirement age is 70)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA];GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party[Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [YossiBEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA];National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON];SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN];United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [AvigdorLIEBERMAN]; Yisrael Ba'Aliya (merged with Likud)
Political pressure groups and leaders:Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bankand Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in theWest Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settlerinterests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitorshuman rights abuses
International organization participation:BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory),OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Salai MERIDOR chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903 mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575 FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Flag description:white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as theMagen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontalblue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Economy Israel
Economy - overview:Israel has a technologically advanced market economy withsubstantial government participation. It depends on imports of crudeoil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limitednatural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agriculturaland industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel importssubstantial quantities of grain, but is largely self-sufficient inother agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technologyequipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are theleading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current accountdeficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroadand by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debtis owed to the US, which is its major source of economic andmilitary aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficultiesin the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; andfiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to smalldeclines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy rebounded in 2003 and2004, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightenedfiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boostcompetition and efficiency in the markets. In 2005, rising consumerconfidence, tourism, and foreign direct investment - as well ashigher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 4.7%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$156.9 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$114.3 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$25,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.6% industry: 31.7% services: 65.7% (2003 est.)