0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Current account balance:
-$2.745 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 -$1.744 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.602 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $2.226 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners:
US 40.3%, Canada 10.6%, UK 9.2%, Netherlands 7.9%, France 5.4%,Russia 5.2% (2008)
Imports:
$7.185 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $5.789 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 39.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.5%, Venezuela 11.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.767 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $1.879 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $9.657 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 72.236 (2008 est.), 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004)
Communications ::Jamaica
Telephones - main lines in use:
316,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.723 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity now roughly 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (1997)
Internet country code:
.jm
Internet hosts:
3,961 (2009) country comparison to the world: 137
Internet users:
1.54 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 73
Transportation ::Jamaica
Airports:
27 (2009) country comparison to the world: 123
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
under 914 m: 15 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 21,552 km country comparison to the world: 108 paved: 15,937 km (includes 33 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,615 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 20 country comparison to the world: 99 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 6, carrier 1, container 4, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 17 (Denmark 2, Germany 4, Greece 6, Hong Kong 1, Latvia 1, Russia 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point
Military ::Jamaica
Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 688,480
females age 16-49: 709,548 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 573,520
females age 16-49: 586,426 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 31,833
female: 31,257 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Transnational Issues ::Jamaica
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Jan Mayen (Europe)
Introduction ::Jan Mayen
Background:
This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985. It is the northernmost active volcano on earth.
Geography ::Jan Mayen
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the NorwegianSea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 377 sq km country comparison to the world: 203 land: 377 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
124.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People ::Jan Mayen
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station
Government ::Jan Mayen
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy ::Jan Mayen
Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island.
Communications ::Jan Mayen
Radio broadcast stations:
NA; note - there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)
Transportation ::Jan Mayen
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 223
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Jan Mayen
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues ::Jan Mayen
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on September 22, 2009
======================================================================
@Japan (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Japan
Background:
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In January 2009, Japan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography ::Japan
Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and theSea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 377,915 sq km country comparison to the world: 61 land: 364,485 sq km
water: 13,430 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish
note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas as well as the second largest importer of oil
Land use:
arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,920 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
430 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of theSea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia
People ::Japan
Population:
127,078,679 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 8,804,465/female 8,344,800)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 41,187,425/female 40,533,876)
65 years and over: 22.2% (male 11,964,694/female 16,243,419) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 44.2 years
male: 42.4 years
female: 46.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.191% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Birth rate:
7.64 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
Death rate:
9.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.79 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 221 male: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.12 years country comparison to the world: 3 male: 78.8 years
female: 85.62 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.21 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 217
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups:
Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%
note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)
Religions:
Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%
note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people belong to both Shintoism and Buddhism (2005)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 128
Government ::Japan
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon
Government type:
a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence:
660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU; first recognized by Emperor Meiji in 1873)
National holiday:
Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Constitution:
3 May 1947
Legal system:
modeled after German civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Yukio HATOYAMA (since 16 September 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Naoto KAN (since 16 September 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch:
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for fixed six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet.
elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2010); House of Representatives - last held 30 August 2009 (next to be held by August 2013)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPJ 109, LDP 83, Komeito 20, JCP 7, SDP 5, others 18
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (in single-seat constituencies) - DPJ 42.4%, LDP 26.7%, Komeito 11.5%, JCP 7.0%, SDP 4.3%, others 8.1%; seats by party - DPJ 308, LDP 119, Komeito 21, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 16 (2009)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Yukio HATOYAMA]; Japan CommunistParty or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]; LiberalDemocratic Party or LDP [Sadakazu TANIGAKI]; Social Democratic Partyor SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: business groups; trade unions
International organization participation:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialoguepartner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club,PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ichiro FUJISAKI
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle
consulate(s): Anchorage, Nashville
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James V. ROOS
embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300
telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Economy ::Japan
Economy - overview:
In the years following World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary speed to the rank of second most technologically powerful economy in the world after the US. Today, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, Japan is the third-largest economy in the world after the US and China. Two notable characteristic of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. A tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in rice, Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades, overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the after effects of inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. In October 2007 Japan's longest post-war period of economic expansion ended after 69 months and Japan entered into recession in 2008, with 2009 marking a return to near 0% interest rates. The 10-year privatization of Japan Post, which has functioned not only as the national postal delivery system but also, through its banking and insurance facilities as Japan's largest financial institution, was completed in October 2007, marking a major milestone in the process of structural reform. The Japanese financial sector was not heavily exposed to sub-prime mortgages or their derivative instruments and weathered the initial effect of the global credit crunch, but a sharp downturn in business investment and global demand for Japan's exports in late 2008 pushed Japan further into a recession. Japan's huge government debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems. Debate continues on the role of and effects of reform in restructuring the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.34 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $4.37 trillion (2007 est.)
$4.272 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.911 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204 2.3% (2007 est.)
2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$34,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $34,300 (2007 est.)
$33,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 26.3%
services: 72.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
66.5 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 27.9%
services: 66.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 3.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.1 (2002) country comparison to the world: 74 24.9 (1993)
Investment (gross fixed):
23% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Budget:
revenues: $1.72 trillion
expenditures: $1.788 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
172.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 164.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 0.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 135 0.75% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
1.91% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$5.417 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $4.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$6.16 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $4.783 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$12.34 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 3 $9.653 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 $4.453 trillion (31 December 2007)
$4.726 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - production:
1.058 trillion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - consumption:
1.007 trillion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
133,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Oil - consumption:
4.785 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Oil - exports:
268,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - imports:
5.263 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Oil - proved reserves:
44.12 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - production:
5.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Natural gas - consumption:
101.1 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - imports:
95.39 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - proved reserves:
20.9 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Current account balance:
$156.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $210.5 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$746.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $678.1 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
Exports - partners:
US 17.8%, China 16%, South Korea 7.6%, Hong Kong 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$708.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $573.3 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials
Imports - partners:
China 18.9%, US 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, Australia 6.2%, UAE 6.1%,Indonesia 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.011 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $954.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.231 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 9 $1.768 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$135.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $110.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$663.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $533.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
yen (JPY) per US dollar - 103.58 (2008 est.), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
Communications ::Japan
Telephones - main lines in use:
47.579 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 4
Telephones - mobile cellular:
110.395 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 7
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind
international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
211 (plus 7,341 repeaters); in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Internet country code:
.jp
Internet hosts:
47.249 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 2
Internet users:
90.91 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Transportation ::Japan
Airports:
176 (2009) country comparison to the world: 34
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 42
1,524 to 2,437 m: 40
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 27 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 28 (2009)
Heliports:
15 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 3,862 km; oil 167 km; oil/gas/water 53 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 23,506 km country comparison to the world: 11 standard gauge: 3,437 km 1.435-m gauge (3,319 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 20,059 km 1.067-m gauge (11,842 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,196,999 km country comparison to the world: 5 paved: 949,101 km (includes 7,383 km of expressways)
unpaved: 247,898 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007) country comparison to the world: 47
Merchant marine:
total: 683 country comparison to the world: 16 by type: bulk carrier 136, cargo 30, carrier 3, chemical tanker 27, container 11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 135, petroleum tanker 156, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle carrier 61
registered in other countries: 3,074 (Australia 1, Bahamas 87, Belize 8, Bermuda 2, Burma 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 13, China 2, Cyprus 21, France 1, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 111, Indonesia 6, Isle of Man 6, Italy 1, South Korea 20, Liberia 116, Malaysia 4, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 17, Nigeria 1, Norway 29, Panama 2335, Philippines 81, Portugal 15, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 131, Thailand 4, UK 4, US 7, Vanuatu 29, Vietnam 1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,Tomakomai, Yohohama
Military ::Japan
Military branches:
Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force(Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai,MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Koku Jieitai, ASDF) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 27,819,804
females age 16-49: 26,863,794 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 22,757,136
females age 16-49: 21,920,703 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 621,254
female: 589,270 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 150
Transnational Issues ::Japan
Disputes - international:
the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Dokdo) occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Jersey (Europe)
Introduction ::Jersey
Background:
Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Geography ::Jersey
Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 116 sq km country comparison to the world: 224 land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
70 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
People ::Jersey
Population:
91,626 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 7,623/female 7,087)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 30,914/female 31,081)
65 years and over: 16.3% (male 6,614/female 8,307) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.9 years
male: 42.1 years
female: 43.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.211% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Birth rate:
8.63 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Death rate:
9.26 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Net migration rate:
2.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Urbanization:
urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 197 male: 5.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.75 years country comparison to the world: 25 male: 77.23 years
female: 82.46 years (2009 est.)