Ports and terminals:Grand Turk, Providenciales
Military Turks and Caicos Islands
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$192.8 million
Military - note:defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Illicit drugs:transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for theUS and Europe
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Tuvalu
Introduction Tuvalu
Background:In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of theGilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the ElliceIslands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the GilbertIslands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separateBritish colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography Tuvalu
Location:Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the SouthPacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references:Oceania
Area:total: 26 sq kmland: 26 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:24 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 66.67% other: 33.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:NA
Natural hazards:severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there werethree cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changesin sea level
Environment - current issues:since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is notpotable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems withstorage facilities (the Japanese Government has built onedesalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosionbecause of the use of sand for building materials; excessiveclearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coralreefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu isconcerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions andtheir effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country'sunderground water table; in 2000, the government appealed toAustralia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levelsshould make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollutionsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of thecoral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, andNukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutaohave landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
People Tuvalu
Population:11,810 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 30.2% (male 1,819/female 1,752)15-64 years: 64.7% (male 3,715/female 3,923)65 years and over: 5.1% (male 228/female 373) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 24.6 yearsmale: 23.6 yearsfemale: 26 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.51% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:22.18 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:7.11 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: 0.95 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 19.47 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 22.27 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 16.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 68.32 yearsmale: 66.08 yearsfemale: 70.66 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.98 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: Tuvaluan(s)adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups:Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Religions:Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages:Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Literacy:NA
Government Tuvalu
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Tuvalulocal long form: nonelocal short form: Tuvaluformer: Ellice Islandsnote: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country'seight traditionally inhabited islands
Government type:constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
Capital:name: Funafutigeographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 Etime difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village onFongafale Islet
Administrative divisions:none
Independence:1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:1 October 1978
Legal system:NA
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August2006)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on therecommendation of the prime ministerelections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed bythe monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; primeminister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the membersof Parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be heldfollowing parliamentary elections in 2010)election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected Prime Minister in aParliamentary election on 14 August 2006
Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly(15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
Judicial branch:High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over itssessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal inFiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders:none
International organization participation:ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
Diplomatic representation from the US:the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador toFiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description:light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-sidequadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the countrywith nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
Economy Tuvalu
Economy - overview:Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of ninecoral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineralresources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are theprimary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from thesale of stamps and coins and remittances from seamen on merchantships abroad. About 1,000 Tuvaluans are being repatriated fromNauru, with the decline of phosphate resources there. Substantialincome is received annually from an international trust fundestablished in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported alsoby Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments andconservative withdrawals, this fund has grown from an initial $17million to over $35 million in 1999. The US Government is also amajor revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence onforeign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms,including privatization of some government functions and personnelcuts of up to 7%. Tuvalu derives around $1.5 million per year fromthe lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. With merchandiseexports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliancemust be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees,remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and incomefrom overseas investments.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$14.94 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$14.94 million
GDP - real growth rate:1.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.6% NA% industry: 27.2% NA% services: 56.2% NA%
Labor force: 3,615 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):3.7% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $22.78 millionexpenditures: $14.23 million; including capital expenditures of $4.2million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:coconuts; fish
Industries:fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA
Current account balance:$2.323 million
Exports:$1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:copra, fish
Exports - partners:Germany 60.5%, Italy 20.1%, Fiji 6.9% (2005)
Imports:$9.186 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners:Fiji 46.1%, Japan 18.9%, China 18.2%, Australia 7.7%, NZ 4.1% (2005)
Debt - external:$NA
Economic aid - recipient:$13 million; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US(1999 est.)
Currency (code):Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar
Currency code:AUD
Exchange rates:Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095(2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Tuvalu
Telephones - main lines in use:700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:0 (2004)
Telephone system:general assessment: serves particular needs for internalcommunicationsdomestic: radiotelephone communications between islandsinternational: country code - 688; international calls can be madeby satellite
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:0 (2004)
Televisions:800
Internet country code:.tv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:1,300 (2002)
Transportation Tuvalu
Airports:1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways:total: 8 kmpaved: 8 km (2002)
Merchant marine:total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 196,790 GRT/256,436 DWTby type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 37, chemical tanker 1, container 2,passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, specializedtanker 1foreign-owned: 43 (China 23, Hong Kong 8, Kenya 1, Russia 2,Singapore 6, Thailand 1, Turkey 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Funafuti
Military Tuvalu
Military branches:no regular military forces; Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure:NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Transnational Issues Tuvalu
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Uganda
Introduction Uganda
Background:The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Ugandagrouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with differentpolitical systems and cultures. These differences prevented theestablishment of a working political community after independencewas achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79)was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrillawar and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed atleast another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. Duringthe 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential andlegislative elections.
Geography Uganda
Location:Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates:1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 236,040 sq kmland: 199,710 sq kmwater: 36,330 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:total: 2,698 kmborder countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline:0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:none (landlocked)
Climate:tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December toFebruary, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land
Land use: arable land: 21.57% permanent crops: 8.92% other: 69.51% (2005)
Irrigated land:90 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation;overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in LakeVictoria; poaching is widespread
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers
People Uganda
Population:28,195,754note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 50% (male 7,091,763/female 6,996,385)15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,762,071/female 6,727,230)65 years and over: 2.2% (male 266,931/female 351,374) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 15 yearsmale: 14.9 yearsfemale: 15.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:3.37% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:47.35 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:12.24 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 66.15 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 69.51 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 62.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 52.67 yearsmale: 51.68 yearsfemale: 53.69 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:6.71 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:4.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:530,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:78,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: very highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, andtyphoid fevervectorborne diseases: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleepingsickness) are high risks in some locationswater contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)
Nationality:noun: Ugandan(s)adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic groups:Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%,Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%,Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%
Religions:Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs18%
Languages:English (official national language, taught in grade schools, usedin courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts),Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages,preferred for native language publications in the capital and may betaught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharanlanguages, Swahili, Arabic
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 69.9%male: 79.5%female: 60.4% (2003 est.)
Government Uganda
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Ugandaconventional short form: Uganda
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Kampalageographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 25 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:56 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Bugiri, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi,Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido,Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese,Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi,Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara,Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakasongola,Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule,Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbenote: as of a July 2005, 13 new districts were reportedly addedbringing the total up to 69; the new districts are Amolatar, Amuria,Budaka, Butaleja, Ibanda, Kaabong, Kabingo, Kaliro, Kiruhura,Koboko, Manafwa, Mityana, Nakaseke; a total of nine more districtsare in the process of being added
Independence:9 October 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution:8 October 1995; in 2005 the constitution was amended removingpresidential term limits and legalizing a multiparty political system
Legal system:in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based onEnglish common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJjurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (sinceseizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chiefof state and head of governmenthead of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (sinceseizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI(since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of stateand head of government; the prime minister assists the president inthe supervision of the cabinetcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among electedlegislatorselections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president;percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, KizzaBESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly elected bypopular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special interestgroups [women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8 exofficio members; members serve five-year terms)elections: last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -NA; note - election results had not been posted as of March 2006
Judicial branch:Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approvedby the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by thepresident)
Political parties and leaders:Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP[Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [KizzaBESIGYE]; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA];National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]; National ResistanceMovement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC[Miria OBOTE]note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda'stransition to a multi-party political system
Political pressure groups and leaders:Popular Resistance Against a Life President or PRALP
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol,IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Edith G. SSEMPALAchancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires WilliamFITZGERALDembassy: 1577 Ggaba Rd., Kampalamailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampalatelephone: [256] (41) 234-142FAX: [256] (41) 258-451
Flag description:six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black,yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center anddepicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoistside
Economy Uganda
Economy - overview:Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils,regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt.Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employingover 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of exportrevenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreigncountries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate andstabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raisingproducer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleumproducts, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes areespecially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production andexport earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solidperformance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation ofinfrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports,reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and thereturn of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. In 2000, Ugandaqualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debtrelief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt reliefadded up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001-02 was solid despitecontinued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export.Growth in 2003-05 reflected an upturn in Uganda's export markets.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$47.76 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$7.909 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31.1% industry: 22.2% services: 46.9% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 13.17 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 82% industry: 5% services: 13% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:35% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 4%highest 10%: 21% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:43 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):8.1% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):23.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.845 billionexpenditures: $1.904 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:64.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Industries:sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
Industrial production growth rate:9% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:1.729 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.9% hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:1.448 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:160 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:10,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$-355 million (2005 est.)
Exports:$768 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticulturalproducts; gold
Exports - partners:Kenya 15.1%, Belgium 9.9%, Netherlands 9.7%, France 7.1%, Germany5.1%, Rwanda 4% (2005)
Imports:$1.608 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals
Imports - partners:Kenya 32%, UAE 8.6%, South Africa 6.4%, India 5.7%, China 5.2%, UK4.4%, US 4.1%, Japan 4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.286 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$4.973 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$959 million (2003)
Currency (code):Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Currency code:UGX
Exchange rates:Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,780.7 (2005), 1,810.3 (2004),1,963.7 (2003), 1,797.6 (2002), 1,755.7 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June
Communications Uganda
Telephones - main lines in use:100,800 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.525 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems havebeen introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines isessential; e-mail and Internet services are availabledomestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, andradiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellularsystems for short-range trafficinternational: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya andTanzania
Radio broadcast stations:AM 7, FM 33, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios:5 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:8 (plus one low-power repeater) (2001)
Televisions:500,000 (2001)
Internet country code:.ug
Internet hosts:1,365 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2000)
Internet users:500,000 (2005)
Transportation Uganda
Airports: 31 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 8 (2006)
Railways: total: 1,244 km narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 70,746 km paved: 16,272 km unpaved: 54,474 km (2003)
Waterways:on Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and parts ofAlbert Nile (2005)
Ports and terminals:Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Military Uganda
Military branches:Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (UPDF): Army, Marine Unit, Air Wing
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty; the government has stated that recruitment below that age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 5,012,620females age 18-49: 4,855,858 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 2,889,808females age 18-49: 2,780,135 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$192.8 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.2% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Uganda
Disputes - international:Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups,rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces;Ugandan refugees have fled the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) into thesouthern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; LRA forceshave attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 214,673 (Sudan) 18,902 (Rwanda)14,982 (Democratic Republic of Congo)IDPs: 1,330,000-2,000,000 note - ongoing Lord's Resistance Army(LRA) rebellion, mainly in the north; LRA frequently attacks IDPcamps (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Ukraine
Introduction Ukraine
Background:Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, KyivanRus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest andmost powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels andMongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchyof Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundationfor Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A newUkrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during themid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despitecontinuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remainautonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed bythe Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period ofindependence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure abrutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, Germanand Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million moredeaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as thelegacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts ateconomic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful massprotest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced theauthorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allowa new internationally monitored vote that swept into power areformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internalsquabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCHto stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become primeminister in August of 2006.
Geography Ukraine
Location:Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania,and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Geographic coordinates:49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:Asia, Europe
Area:total: 603,700 sq kmland: 603,700 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:total: 4,663 kmborder countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km,Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km
Coastline:2,782 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimeancoast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in westand north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from coolalong the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm acrossthe greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain:most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus,mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in theCrimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Black Sea 0 mhighest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources:iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur,graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber,arable land
Land use:arable land: 53.8%permanent crops: 1.5%other: 44.7% (2005)
Irrigated land:22,080 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution;deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile OrganicCompounds
Geography - note:strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia;second-largest country in Europe
People Ukraine
Population:46,710,816 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 14.1% (male 3,377,868/female 3,203,738)15-64 years: 69.3% (male 15,559,998/female 16,831,486)65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,635,651/female 5,102,075) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 39.2 years male: 35.9 years female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:-0.6% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:8.82 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:14.39 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 8.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 69.98 yearsmale: 64.71 yearsfemale: 75.59 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:1.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:360,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:20,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Ukrainian(s)adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups:Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%,Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%,Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions:Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 19%, Orthodox (no particularjurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 9%,Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%,Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004 est.)
Languages:Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, small Romanian-, Polish-,and Hungarian-speaking minorities
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99.7%male: 99.8%female: 99.6% (2003 est.)
Government Ukraine
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Ukrainelocal long form: nonelocal short form: Ukrayinaformer: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, UkrainianSoviet Socialist Republic
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Kyiv (Kiev)geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic*(avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular -misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimeaor Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k,Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy,Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa,Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn'(Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyrnote: administrative divisions have the same names as theiradministrative centers (exceptions have the administrative centername following in parentheses)
Independence:24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:Independence Day, 24 August (1991); 22 January (1918), the dayUkraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and theday the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united(1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Constitution:adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system:based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January2005)head of government: Prime Minister Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 4 August2006); First Deputy Prime Minister - Mykola AZAROV (since 5 August2006)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; theonly exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who arechosen by the presidentnote: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDCoriginally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; theNSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy ondomestic and international matters and advising the president; aPresidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts andprovides policy support to the presidentelections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term(eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoffpresidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and ViktorYANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21November 2004 contest - won by Mr. YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated bythe Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significantviolations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in namingthe prime ministerelection results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent ofvote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 51.99%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%
Legislative branch:unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; allocatedon a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of thenational electoral vote; members serve five-year terms)elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)election results: percent of vote by party/bloc in 2002 - Party ofRegions 32.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.3%, Our Ukraine 13.9%, SPU5.7%, CPU 3.7%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 186, YuliyaTymoshenko Bloc 129, Our Ukraine 81, SPU 33, CPU 21
Judicial branch:Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; FatherlandParty (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Lytyvn-led People's Blocgroup [Ihor SHAROV]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party ofIndustrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; People'sMovement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party[Volodymyr LYTVYN]; People's Trust group [Anton KISSE]; PORA! (It'sTime!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party[Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Partyof Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO];Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Viktor MEDVEDCHUK];Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman];Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Ukraine [BohdanHUBSKYY]; Vidrodzhennya (Revival) [Anton KISSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]
International organization participation:Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS(observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer),UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHURchancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLORembassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 04053 Kyivmailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085
Flag description:two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellowrepresent grain fields under a blue sky
Economy Ukraine
Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. A dispute with Russia over pricing led to a temporary gas cut-off; Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006, which almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas, and could cost the Ukrainian economy $1.4-2.2 billion and cause GDP growth to fall 3-4%. Ukrainian government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework for businesses. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP growth was 2.4% in 2005, down from 12.4% in 2004. The current account surplus reached $2.2 billion in 2005. The privatization of the Kryvoryzhstal steelworks in late 2005 produced $4.8 billion in windfall revenue for the government. Some of the proceeds were used to finance the budget deficit, some to recapitalize two state banks, some to retire public debt, and the rest may be used to finance future deficits.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$329.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$75.14 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:2.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$7,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.7% industry: 45.2% services: 36.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 22.67 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 24% industry: 32% services: 44% (1996)
Unemployment rate:3.1% officially registered; large number of unregistered orunderemployed workers; the International Labor Organizationcalculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10%(2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:29% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 24.8% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:29 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):13.5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):20.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $23.59 billionexpenditures: $22.98 billion; note - this is the consolidated budget(January-September 2005)
Public debt:17% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Industries:coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery andtransport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)
Industrial production growth rate:3.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:181.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 48.6% hydro: 7.9% nuclear: 43.5% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:176 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:255 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production:85,660 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:491,700 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports:8,891 bbl/day NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:444,600 bbl/day NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:395 million bbl (9 November 2004)
Natural gas - production:20.3 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - consumption:75.8 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - exports:3.9 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - imports:59.8 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - proved reserves:1.121 trillion cu m (9 November 2004)
Current account balance:$2.531 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$38.22 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products,chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners:Russia 22.1%, Turkey 6%, Italy 5.6% (2005)
Imports:$37.18 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:Russia 35.5%, Germany 9.4%, Turkmenistan 7.4%, China 5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$19.39 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$23.93 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (1998)
Currency (code):hryvnia (UAH)
Currency code:UAH
Exchange rates:hryvnia per US dollar - 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004), 5.3327(2003), 5.3266 (2002), 5.3722 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Ukraine
Telephones - main lines in use:12.142 million (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:17.214 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan,running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines,international connections, and the mobile cellular systemdomestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited atelephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not besatisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunksystem is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system isexpanding at a high rateinternational: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines area part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and threeUkrainian links have been installed in the fiber-opticTrans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;additional international service is provided by theItaly-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable andby earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputniksatellite systems
Radio broadcast stations:AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:45.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)