Economic aid - recipient:ODA, $150 million (2000 est.)
Currency (code):lari (GEL)
Currency code:GEL
Exchange rates:lari per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004),2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Georgia
Telephones - main lines in use:683,200 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.459 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: NAdomestic: local - T'bilisi, K'ut'aisi, and Batumi have cellulartelephone networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercityfacilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi andK'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is availableinternational: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working ona fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); presentinternational service is available by microwave, landline, andsatellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mailand telex service are available
Radio broadcast stations:AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:3.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:2.57 million (1997)
Internet country code:.ge
Internet hosts:10,752 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):6 (2000)
Internet users:175,600 (2005)
Transportation Georgia
Airports: 23 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 41,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 2under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports:3 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 1,349 km; oil 1,010 km (2006)
Railways:total: 1,612 kmbroad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2005)
Roadways:total: 20,247 kmpaved: 7,973 kmunpaved: 12,274 km (2004)
Merchant marine:total: 222 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,059,386 GRT/1,538,746 DWTby type: bulk carrier 27, cargo 176, container 4, liquefied gas 1,passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3, refrigeratedcargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1foreign-owned: 188 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Belgium 1, China 2,Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 8, Germany 1, Greece 8, Indonesia 1,South Korea 1, Lebanon 7, Monaco 13, Romania 11, Russia 28, Slovakia1, Slovenia 1, Syria 43, Turkey 30, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 22) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Bat'umi, P'ot'i
Transportation - note:transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnicconflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacksmaintenance and repair
Military Georgia
Military branches:Ground Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air DefenseForces, Navy (2006)
Military service age and obligation:18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active dutymilitary service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 1,038,736females age 18-49: 1,105,910 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 827,281females age 18-49: 903,791 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 38,857females age 18-49: 38,238 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$23 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.59% (FY00)
Military - note:a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in theAbkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observergroup; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational Issues Georgia
Disputes - international:Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border,leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundaryunresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as thePankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia;UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping forcein Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout theformer Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armeniaremains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region ofGeorgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government;Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of theirboundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 220,000-240,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia)(2006)
Illicit drugs:limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly fordomestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates viaCentral Asia to Western Europe and Russia
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Germany
Introduction Germany
Background:As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation,Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, anddefense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany intwo devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century andleft the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US,UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of theCold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western FederalRepublic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic(GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economicand security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-ledWarsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold Warallowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany hasexpended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wagesup to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EUcountries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Geography Germany
Location:Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, betweenthe Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates:51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 357,021 sq kmland: 349,223 sq kmwater: 7,798 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:total: 3,621 kmborder countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline:2,389 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain:lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 mhighest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
Natural resources:coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium,potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 33.13% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 66.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:4,850 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:flooding
Environment - current issues:emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute toair pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions,is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage andindustrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous wastedisposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use ofnuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EUcommitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with theEU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:strategic location on North European Plain and along the entranceto the Baltic Sea
People Germany
Population:82,422,299 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 14.1% (male 5,973,437/female 5,665,971)15-64 years: 66.4% (male 27,889,936/female 26,874,858)65 years and over: 19.4% (male 6,602,478/female 9,415,619) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 42.6 years male: 41.3 years female: 43.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:-0.02% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:8.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:10.62 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 3.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.8 yearsmale: 75.81 yearsfemale: 81.96 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:43,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: German(s)adjective: German
Ethnic groups:German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek,Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
Religions:Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated orother 28.3%
Languages:German
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government Germany
Country name:conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germanyconventional short form: Germanylocal long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschlandlocal short form: Deutschlandformer: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Government type:federal republic
Capital:name: Berlingeographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 Etime difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern(Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania),Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (NorthRhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland,Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt),Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen,and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten,singular - Freistaat)
Independence:18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into fourzones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or WestGermany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, andFrench zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
National holiday:Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Constitution:23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the unitedGermany 3 October 1990
Legal system:civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review oflegislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has notaccepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)head of government: Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005)cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed bythe president on the recommendation of the chancellorelections: president elected for a five-year term (eligible for asecond term) by a Federal Convention, including all members of theFederal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by thestate parliaments; election last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of theFederal Assembly for a four-year term; Bundestag election last held22 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN;Angela MERKEL elected chancellor; vote by Federal Assembly 397 to202 with 12 abstentions
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assemblyor Bundestag (614 seats; elected by popular vote under a systemcombining direct and proportional representation; a party must win5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gainproportional representation and caucus recogntion; members servefour-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes;state governments are directly represented by votes; each has threeto six votes depending on population and are required to vote as ablock)elections: Federal Assembly - last held 18 September 2005 (next tobe held September 2009); note - there are no elections for theBundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of thestate-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has thepotential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an electionelection results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -CDU/CSU 35.2%, SPD 34.3%, FDP 9.8%, Left 8.7%, Greens 8.1%; seats byparty - CDU/CSU 225, SPD 222, FDP 61, Left 53, Greens 51, andindependents 2
Judicial branch:Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half thejudges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)
Political parties and leaders:Alliance '90/Greens [Claudia ROTH and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian SocialUnion or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party orFDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party.PDS (Linkspartei.PDS)[Lothar BISKY]; note - a merger with the Electoral Alternative-Workand Social Justice or WASG [Klaus ERNST] is planned for summer 2007;Social Democratic Party or SPD [Kurt BECK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:business associations and employers' organizations; religious,trade unions, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups
International organization participation:AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC(observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Klaus SCHARIOTH chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William R. TIMKEN, Jr. embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
Economy Germany
Economy - overview:Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifthlargest in the world - has become one of the slowest growingeconomies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offingin the foreseeable future; however, stronger growth this year hasimproved employment considerably. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of1%, rising to 1.7% in 2004, falling back to 0.9% in 2005, andincreasing to 2.2% in 2006. Unemployment fell to 7.1% in October2006, based on the Internation Labor Organization's measurement. Themodernization and integration of the eastern German economycontinues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfersfrom west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's agingpopulation, combined with high chronic unemployment, has pushedsocial security outlays to a level exceeding contributions fromworkers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - includingstrict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages ona national basis - and a lack of competition in the sevice sectorshave made slow growth a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring andgrowing capital markets are setting the foundations that could helpGermany meet the long-term challenges of European economicintegration and globalization; however, the current government hasfailed to pass meaningful economic reform that would improve growthprospects. Higher government revenues from the cyclical upturn in2006 reduced Germany's budget deficit to within the EU's 3% debtlimit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.585 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$2.858 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:2.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$31,400 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 29.1% services: 70% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 43.66 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2.8% industry: 33.4% services: 63.8% (1999)
Unemployment rate:7.1%note: this is the International Labor Organization's estimated ratefor international comparisons; Germany's Federal Employment Officeestimated a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.8% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:28.3 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):1.7% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):17.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.277 trillionexpenditures: $1.344 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Public debt:66.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle,pigs, poultry
Industries:among the world's largest and most technologically advancedproducers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages,shipbuilding, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:4.4% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:566.9 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 61.8% hydro: 4.2% nuclear: 29.9% other: 4.1% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:524.6 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:50.8 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:48.2 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production:167,400 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:2.65 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports:12,990 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports:2.135 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:395.8 million bbl (1 January 2004)
Natural gas - production:19.9 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:102 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:8.81 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:90.11 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:279.1 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$134.8 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:$1.133 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures,foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners:France 10.2%, US 8.8%, UK 7.9%, Italy 6.9%, Netherlands 6.1%,Belgium 5.6%, Austria 5.4%, Spain 5.1% (2005)
Imports:$916.4 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
Imports - partners:France 8.7%, Netherlands 8.5%, US 6.6%, China 6.4%, UK 6.3%, Italy5.7%, Belgium 5%, Austria 4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$48.76 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external:$3.904 trillion (30 June 2006)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)
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 - 0.7967 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Germany
Telephones - main lines in use:55.046 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:79.2 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: Germany has one of the world's mosttechnologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result ofintensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerlybackward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back toWorld War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of thewestern partdomestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatictelephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-opticcable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domesticsatellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreigncountriesinternational: country code - 49; Germany's international service isexcellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cablefacilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:77.8 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:51.4 million (1998)
Internet country code:.de
Internet hosts:11,859,131 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):200 (2001)
Internet users:50.616 million (2006)
Transportation Germany
Airports: 554 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 332 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 54 1,524 to 2,437 m: 58 914 to 1,523 m: 72 under 914 m: 135 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 222 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 185 (2006)
Heliports:32 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate 37 km; gas 25,035 km; oil 3,546 km; refined products3,827 km (2006)
Railways:total: 47,201 kmstandard gauge: 46,948 km 1.435-m gauge (19,674 km electrified)narrow gauge: 229 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km0.750-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 231,581 kmpaved: 231,581 km (including 12,200 km of expressways) (2005)
Waterways:7,467 kmnote: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links NorthSea and Black Sea (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 394 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,017,754 GRT/13,091,194 DWTby type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 60, chemical tanker 13, container273, liquefied gas 3, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 25, petroleumtanker 10, roll on/roll off 3foreign-owned: 4 (Finland 2, Italy 1, Switzerland 1)registered in other countries: 2,491 (Antigua and Barbuda 858,Australia 3, Bahamas 22, Belize 3, Bermuda 21, Brazil 7, Bulgaria 1,Burma 5, Canada 3, Cayman Islands 13, Cyprus 214, Denmark 13,Dominica 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Georgia 1,Gibraltar 108, Guyana 1, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Ireland 2, Isleof Man 56, Jamaica 3, Liberia 587, Luxembourg 10, Malaysia 2, Malta64, Marshall Islands 194, Morocco 2, Netherlands 56, NetherlandsAntilles 60, NZ 1, Panama 35, Portugal 17, Russia 2, Saint Vincentand the Grenadines 8, Samoa 1, Singapore 9, Spain 12, Sri Lanka 5,Sweden 3, Turkey 1, UK 76, US 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Bremen, Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Hamburg,Karlsruhe, Mainz, Rostock, Wilhemshaven
Military Germany
Military branches:Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (DeutscheMarine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe), JointService Support Command (Streitkraeftebasis), Central MedicalService (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of compulsorymilitary service) (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 18,917,537females age 18-49: 17,913,113 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 15,258,931females age 18-49: 14,443,412 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 497,048females age 18-49: 470,537 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$35.063 billion (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.5% (2003)
Transnational Issues Germany
Disputes - international:none
Illicit drugs:source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaineprocessors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asianheroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced syntheticdrugs; major financial center
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Ghana
Introduction Ghana
Background:Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast andthe Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the firstsub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Along series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitutionin 1981 and a ban on political parties. A new constitution,restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. JerryRAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for athird term in 2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice PresidentJohn ATTA-MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.
Geography Ghana
Location:Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoireand Togo
Geographic coordinates:8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 239,460 sq kmland: 230,940 sq kmwater: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:total: 2,094 kmborder countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo877 km
Coastline:539 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot andhumid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain:mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources:gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Land use: arable land: 17.54% permanent crops: 9.22% other: 73.24% (2005)
Irrigated land:310 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January toMarch; droughts
Environment - current issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
People Ghana
Population:22,409,572note: 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: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female 4,288,720)15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781)65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 19.9 yearsmale: 19.7 yearsfemale: 20.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:2.07% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:30.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 58.87 yearsmale: 58.07 yearsfemale: 59.69 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:3.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:350,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:30,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: very highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,hepatitis A, and typhoid fevervectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks insome locationswater contact disease: schistosomiasisrespiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007)
Nationality:noun: Ghanaian(s)adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups:African 98.5% (includes Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)
Religions:Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Languages:English (official), African languages (including Akan,Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 74.8%male: 82.7%female: 67.1% (2003 est.)
Government Ghana
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Ghanaconventional short form: Ghanaformer: Gold Coast
Government type:constitutional democracy
Capital:name: Accrageographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra,Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence:6 March 1957 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution:approved 28 April 1992
Legal system:based on English common law and customary law; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmenthead of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmentcabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subjectto approval by Parliamentelections: president and vice president elected on the same ticketby popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president inelection; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John ATTA-MILLS 43.7%
Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seatsin last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote toserve four-year terms)elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10
Judicial branch:Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, generalsecretary]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Obed ASAMOAH,chairman]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA,chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY];National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; NationalDemocratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary];New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People'sConvention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman];People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE];People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party[Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]; United Renaissance Party orURP [Charles Wayo, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer),OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKUchancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela BRIDGEWATERembassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accramailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accratelephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348FAX: [233] (21) 701-813
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with alarge black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses thepopular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag ofBolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Economy Ghana
Economy - overview:Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice theper capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so,Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial andtechnical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are majorsources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues torevolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% ofGDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders.Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country(HIPC) program in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt reliefprogram decided upon at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005.Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty Reduction andGrowth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal policies,accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2006along with record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop todate. Ghana received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grantin 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agriculturalexport sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$59.15 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$10.18 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$2,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 37.3% industry: 25.3% services: 37.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 10.87 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 60% industry: 15% services: 25% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:20% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line:31.4% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:30 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):10.9% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):29% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $3.616 billionexpenditures: $3.947 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Public debt:38.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts,bananas; timber
Industries:mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, foodprocessing, cement, small commercial ship building
Industrial production growth rate:3.8% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:6.489 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 5% hydro: 95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:7.095 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:900 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:1.96 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production:7,477 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:44,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:23.79 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$-219 million (2006 est.)
Exports:$3.286 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore,diamonds
Exports - partners:Netherlands 12.5%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%, France 5.6%,Germany 4.4% (2005)
Imports:$5.666 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Nigeria 15.2%, China 12.5%, US 6.3%, UK 5.2%, South Africa 4.5%,Brazil 4.1%, Netherlands 4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$2.098 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:$3.546 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$6.9 billion
Currency (code):cedi (GHC)
Currency code:GHC
Exchange rates:cedis per US dollar - 9,178.85 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6(2004), 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Ghana
Telephones - main lines in use:321,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:2.842 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; manyrural communities not yet connected; expansion of services isunderwaydomestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop hasbeen installedinternational: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftelsystem connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable(SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios:12.5 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:10 (2001)
Televisions:1.9 million (2001)
Internet country code:.gh
Internet hosts:380 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):12 (2000)
Internet users:401,300 (2005)
Transportation Ghana
Airports: 12 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 5914 to 1,523 m: 3under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Pipelines:oil 13 km; refined products 316 km (2006)
Railways: total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 42,623 km paved: 3,267 km unpaved: 39,356 km (2004)
Waterways:1,293 kmnote: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tanorivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta(2005)
Merchant marine:total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWTby type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Takoradi, Tema
Military Ghana
Military branches:Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 4,808,451females age 18-49: 4,762,459 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 3,011,081females age 18-49: 2,991,551 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 251,056females age 18-49: 247,777 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$83.65 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.8% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Ghana
Disputes - international: Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 38,684 (Liberia), 14,136 (Togo) (2006)
Illicit drugs:illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to alesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and theUS; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of awell-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utilityas a money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Gibraltar
Introduction Gibraltar
Background:Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to GreatBritain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrisonwas formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a Britishdependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltarstates that the British government will never allow the people ofGibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state againsttheir freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talkswere held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishingtemporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to thesetalks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against anysharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartitetalks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and inSeptember 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed toallow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed upcustoms procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar.Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed inGibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed toopen a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly.
Geography Gibraltar
Location:Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which linksthe Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southerncoast of Spain
Geographic coordinates:36 8 N, 5 21 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 6.5 sq kmland: 6.5 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Coastline:12 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate:Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain:a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:NA
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or naturalrock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinkingwater) and adequate desalination plant
Geography - note:strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the NorthAtlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
People Gibraltar
Population:27,928 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999)65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 39.8 yearsmale: 39.4 yearsfemale: 40.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.14% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:10.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:9.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 79.8 yearsmale: 76.92 yearsfemale: 82.83 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: Gibraltarian(s)adjective: Gibraltar
Ethnic groups:Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, NorthAfricans
Religions:Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%,Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none2.9% (2001 census)
Languages:English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish,Italian, Portuguese
Literacy: definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA
Government Gibraltar
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK
Government type:NA
Capital:name: Gibraltargeographic coordinates: 39 11 N, 5 22 Wtime difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the nationalreferendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain
Constitution:30 May 1969
Legal system:English law
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who havebeen residents six months or more
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 electedmembers of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultationwith the chief ministerelections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed bythe monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of themajority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usuallyappointed chief minister by the governor
Legislative branch:unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popularvote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members; membersserve four-year terms)elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not laterthan February 2008)election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%;seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7