BelarusAssembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [SergeyMATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions[Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Association of Journalists [ZhanaLITVINA]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; BelarusianIndependence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [AleksandrMILINKEVICH]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [IrinaZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered)[Andrey SANNIKOV]; Perspektiva small business association [AnatolSHUMCHENKO]; Nasha Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rightscenter; "Tell the Truth" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; Women'sIndependent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus(Malady Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front)[Zmitser DASHKEVICH]
BelgiumChristian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federationof Belgian Industriesother: numerous other associations representing bankers,manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medicalprofessions; various organizations represent the cultural interestsof Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christiand groups representing immigrants
BelizeSociety for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR[Nicole HAYLOCK]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [DavidVASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [ReneGOMEZ]
Beninother: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups;teachers' unions and other educational groups
BermudaBermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda IndustrialUnion or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union orBPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
BhutanUnited Front for Democracy (exiled); Druk National Congress(exiled)other: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leadingmilitant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community
BoliviaBolivian Workers Central or COR; Federation of NeighborhoodCouncils of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; NationalCoordinator for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of CampesinoWorkers of Bolivia or CSUTCBother: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (includingConfederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB andNational Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ);labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COBand Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)
Bosnia and Herzegovinaother: war veterans; displaced personsassociations; family associations of missing persons; private media
BotswanaFirst People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); PitsoYa Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language(Kalanga elites)other: diamond mining companies
BrazilLandless Workers' Movement or MSTother: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations;religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and theCatholic Church
British Virgin IslandsThe Family Support Network; The Women's Deskother: environmentalists
BruneiNA
BulgariaConfederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria orCITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederationother: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups withvarious agendas
Burkina FasoBurkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [ToleSAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [ChrysigoneZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; NationalConfederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO];National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE]other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country inboth organizations and communities
BurmaThai border: Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC; Federationof Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and laboradvocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma orNCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr.SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to thePeople's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area andjoined insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government inexile); National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition ofopposition groups)Inside Burma: Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; KarenNational Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP;Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, asocial and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, generalsecretary] became the Union Solidarity and Development Party in2010; United Wa State Army or UWSA; 88 Generation Students(pro-democracy movement); several other Shan factions
BurundiForum for the Strengthening of Civil Society or FORSC[Pacifique NININAHAZWE] (civil society umbrella organization);Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversationseconomiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressuregroup)other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)
CambodiaCambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership forTransparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); StudentsMovement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections orComfrelother: human rights organizations; vendors
CameroonHuman Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president];Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]
Canadaother: agricultural sector; automobile industry; businessgroups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector;energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups;steel industry; trade unions
Cape Verdeother: environmentalists; political pressure groups
Cayman IslandsNational Trustother: environmentalists
Central African RepublicMonam (combating gender-base violence)
Chadrebel groups
ChileRoman Catholic Church, particularly conservative groups suchas Opus Dei; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionistsfrom the country's five largest labor confederationsother: revitalized university student federations at all majoruniversities
Chinano substantial political opposition groups exist
Christmas Islandnone
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsThe Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre
ColombiaNational Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forcesof Colombia or FARCnote: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia
Comorosother: environmentalists
Congo, Democratic Republic of theMONUC - UN organization workingwith the government; FARDC (Forces Armees de la RepubliqueDemocratique du Congo) - Army of the Democratic Republic of theCongo which commits atrocities on citizens; FDL (ForcesDemocratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) - Rwandan militia group
Congo, Republic of theCongolese Trade Union Congress or CSC;General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of CongoleseSocialist Youth or UJSC
Cook IslandsReform Conference (lobby for political system changes)other: various groups lobbying for political change
Costa RicaAuthentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD(Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; ConfederatedUnion of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa RicanConfederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Partyaffiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa RicanSolidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprisesor UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers orFTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE;National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association ofPublic and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarumor CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]
Cote d'IvoireFederation of University and High School Students ofCote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists forDemocracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots[Charles BLE GOUDE]
Croatiaother: human rights groups
CubaHuman Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers
CyprusConfederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West);Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation ofTurkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian LaborFederation or PEO (Communist controlled)
Czech RepublicCzech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS[Jaroslav ZAVADIL]
DenmarkConfederation of Danish Employers or DA [President JornNeergaard LARSEN]; Principal DA member organizations: Confederationof Danish Industries [CEO Karsten DYBVAD]; Confederation of DanishLabor Unions [President Harald BORSTING]; Danish Bankers Association[CEO Joergen HORWITZ]; DaneAge Association [President BjarneHASTRUP]; Danish Society for Nature Conservation [President EllaMaria BISSCHOP-LARSEN]other: humanitarian relief; development assistance; human rights NGOs
DjiboutiUnion for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includesRPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD(opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)
DominicaDominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
Dominican RepublicCitizen Participation Group (ParticipacionCiudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundationfor Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
EcuadorConfederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador orCONAIE [Marlon SANTI, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements orCMS [F. Napoleon SALTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists ofEcuador or FEINE [Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president]; National Federationof Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [LuisAlberto ANDRANGO Cadena, president]
EgyptMuslim Brotherhood (technically illegal)note: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based partiesand political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhoodconstitutes Egypt's most potentially significant politicalopposition; President MUBARAK has alternated between toleratinglimited political activity by the Brotherhood and blocking itsinfluence (its members compete as independents in elections but donot currently hold any seats in the legislature); civic societygroups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; onlytrade unions and professional associations affiliated with thegovernment are officially sanctioned; Internet social networkinggroups and bloggers
El Salvadorlabor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of ElSalvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, SimilarTransport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; NationalConfederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union ofSalvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador orSIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers orUSEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union ofElectrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - NationalAssociation of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran AssemblyIndustry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association orASI
Equatorial GuineaASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group fordemocratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)
EritreaEritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; EritreanIslamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement orEIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean IslamicSalvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); EritreanLiberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean NationalAlliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a numberof ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF[ARADOM Iyob]
EthiopiaEthiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden NationalLiberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Falkland Islands Association(supports freedom of the people from external causes)
Faroe Islandsconservationists
FijiGroup Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH](for restoration of a democratic government); Viti LandownersAssociation
FranceConfederation francaise democratique du travail or CFDT,left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members;Confederation francaise de l'encadrement - Confederation generaledes cadres or CFE-CGC, independent white-collar union with 196,000members; Confederation francaise des travailleurs chretiens of CFTC,independent labor union founded by Catholic workers that claims132,000 members; Confederation generale du travail or CGT,historically communist labor union with approximately 700,000members; Confederation generale du travail - Force ouvriere or FO,independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members; Mouvementdes entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000companies as members (claimed)French Guiana: conservationists; gold mining pressure groups;hunting pressure groupsGuadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe orKLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; GeneralUnion of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for an IndependentGuadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal MovementMartinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Unionfor Martinique Workers or CSTM; Frantz Fanon Circle; League ofWorkers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAPReunion: NA
French PolynesiaNA
GabonNA
Gambia, TheNational Environment Agency or NEA; West African PeaceBuilding Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth EmploymentNetwork Gambia or YENGambiaother: special needs group advocates; teachers and principals
Georgiaseparatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and SouthOssetia
Germanybusiness associations and employers' organizations; tradeunions; religious, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups
GhanaChristian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action orCJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatizationof Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen(water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena OsosukeneOKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)
GibraltarChamber of Commerce; Gibraltar RepresentativesOrganization; Women's Association
GreeceCivil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
Greenlandother: conservationists; environmentalists
GrenadaCommittee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New JewelMovement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; TheNew Jewel 19 Committee
GuamGuam Federation of Teachers' Union; Guam Waterworks AuthorityWorkersother: activists; indigenous groups
GuatemalaAgrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunityor AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committeeof Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associationsor CACIF; International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala orCICIG; Mutual Support Group or GAM
GuernseyStop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; NoMore Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]
GuineaNational Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union ofGuinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes NationalConfederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] andLabor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]);Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. LouisM'Bemba SOUMAH]
Guinea-BissauNA
GuyanaAmerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association;Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; GuyanaPublic Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; TradesUnion Congress
HaitiAutonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [FignoleST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation ofWorkers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of IndependentHaitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS]; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, orKOREGA; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movementor MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations GatheringPower or PROP; Protestant Federation of Haiti; Roman Catholic Church
Holy See (Vatican City)none (exclusive of influence exercised bychurch officers)
HondurasBeverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS;Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH;Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee ofPopular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; NationalAssociation of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union ofCampesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation ofHonduran Workers or CUTH
Hong KongChinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); ChineseManufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of TradeUnions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEECheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong,executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the PatrioticDemocratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong andKowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamberof Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNGMan-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center orNWSC [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up[Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)
HungaryAir Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns andcities); Company For Freedom Rights (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert)or TASZ (personal data protection); Danube Circle (protests thebuilding of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Green Future (proteststhe impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of thepeople); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and NatureConservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet)or MME; GreenAlternative (Zold Alternativa)
IndiaAll Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley(separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); NationalSocialist Council of Nagaland in the northeast (separatist group);Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT] (religiousorganization); Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Ashok SINGHAL] (religiousorganization)other: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations;various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regionalautonomy
IndonesiaCommission for the "Disappeared" and Victims of Violenceor KontraS; Indonesia Corruption Watch or ICW; Indonesian Forum forthe Environment or WALHI; Islamic Defenders Front or FPI; People'sDemocracy Fortress or Bendera
Irangroups that generally support the Islamic Republic: Ansar-eHizballah-Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh); Followers of the Lineof the Imam and the Leader; Islamic Engineers Society; TehranMilitant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat); active pro-reform studentgroup: Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups:Baluchistan People's Party (BPP); Freedom Movement of Iran; GreenPath movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI]; Marz-e Por Gohar;National Front; and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations;armed political groups that have been repressed by the government:Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI); Jundallah; Komala;Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO); People's Fedayeen;People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)
IraqSunni militias; Shia militias, some associated with politicalparties
IrelandFamilies Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [BrianMCCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence); FamiliesAgainst Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism);Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge)or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns forgreater civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [DavidQUINN] (a conservative Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement[Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world);Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open(environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [WillieALLEN] (transportation promoters); Peace and Neutrality Alliance[Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality); Rail UsersIreland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereignIreland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)
Isle of ManAlliance for Progressive Government or APG (a governmentwatchdog); Mec Vannin (political party advocating a sovereign stateand environment policies); note - has only had one member elected tothe Tynwald
IsraelB'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors humanrights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General]supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip;YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotessettler interests and opposes territorial compromise; Breaking theSilence [Yehuda SHAUL, Executive Director] collects testimonies fromsoldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Italymanufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio;Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori;Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade unionconfederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL[Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana deiSindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is RomanCatholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [LuigiANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)
JamaicaNew Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (blackreligious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Japanother: business groups; trade unions
JerseyInstitute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides businesssupport); Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (tradeassociation); Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (humanrights); La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group);Progress Jersey [Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human rights); RoyalJersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (developmentand management of the Jersey breed of cattle); Save Jersey'sHeritage (protects heritage through building preservation)
JordanAnti-Normalization Committee [Hamzeh MANSOUR, chairman];Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [HamzehMANZOUR]; Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman];Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; JordanianMuslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general]
KazakhstanAdil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Committee[Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN];For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS (jailed), Sabit ZHUSUPOV,Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureauon Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-NationalSocial Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY];Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman];Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM];Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV]
KenyaCouncil of Islamic Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh IdrisMOHAMMED]; Kenya Human Rights Commission [L. Muthoni WANYEKI];Muslim Human Rights Forum [Ali-Amin KIMATHI]; National ConventionExecutive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of politicalparties and nongovernment organizations [Ndung'u WAINANA]; NationalMuslim Leaders Forum or NAMLEF [Abdullahi ABDI]; Protestant NationalCouncil of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Canon Peter Karanja MWANGI];Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council ofKenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]other: labor unions
KiribatiNA
Korea, Northnone
Korea, SouthFederation of Korean Industries; Federation of KoreanTrade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean NationalCouncil of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans'Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National DemocraticAlliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;National Federation of Student Associations
KosovoCouncil for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (humanrights); Humanitarian Law Centre (human rights); Movement forSelf-Determination; Serb National Council (SNV)
Kuwaitother: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secularliberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups
KyrgyzstanAdilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA]; Coalition forDemocracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA]; Interbilim[Asiya SASYKBAEVA]
LaosNA
LatviaFree Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS],Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Elina EGLE], Farmers' Parliament[Juris LAZDINS]
LebanonMaronite Church [Patriarch Nasrallah SFAYR]other: note - most sects retain militias and a number of militantgroups operate in Palestinian refugee camps
LesothoMedia Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [ThabangMATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)
Liberiaother: demobilized former military officers
Libyaother: anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement; Islamic elements
LiechtensteinNA
LuxembourgABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sectortrade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agriculturalproducers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade unionrepresenting civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber ofCommerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL(federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection);LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection ofecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)
MacauCivic Power [Agnes LAM Lok-fong]; Macau New Chinese YouthAssociation [LEONG Sin-man]; Macau Society of Tourism andEntertainment or STDM [Stanley HO]; Macau Worker's Union [HOHeng-kuok]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]
MacedoniaFederation of Free Trade Unions [Svetlana PETROVIC];Federation of Trade Unions [Vanco MURATOVSKI]; Trade Union ofEducation, Science and Culture [Dojcin CVETANOSKI]
MadagascarCommittee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR;Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; NationalCouncil of Christian Churches or FFKM
MalawiAgri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group);Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, anddevelopment); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (humanrights); Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform); MalawiMovement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restoreand maintain democracy); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotesdemocracy, development, peace and unity)
MalaysiaBar Council; BERSIH (electoral reform coalition); PEMBELA(Muslim NGO coalition)other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groups
Maldivesother: various unregistered political parties
Maliother: the army; Islamic authorities; rebels in the northernregion; state-run cotton company CMDT; tuaregs
MaltaAlleanza Liberal-Demokratika Maltra or ALDM (for divorce,abortion, gay marriage, the rights existent in other EU memberstates); Alleanza Nazzionali Repubblikana or ANR (for traditionalvalues, anti-immigration); Alternattiva Demokratika(pro-environment); Azzjoni Nazzjonali or AN (freedom to participatein democratic government); Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar(pro-environment); Ghazda tal-Konsumaturi (consumer rights)other: environmentalists
Marshall IslandsNA
MauritaniaGeneral Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM[Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; IndependentConfederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE];Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretarygeneral]other: Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; Islamists
Mauritiusother: various labor unions
MayotteNA
MexicoBusinessmen's Coordinating Council or CCE; Confederation ofEmployers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX; Confederation ofIndustrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of Mexican Workers orCTM; Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO;Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE;Dialogue for the Reconstruction of Mexico or DIA; Federation ofUnions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber ofTransformation Industries or CANACINTRA; National PeasantConfederation or CNC; National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE;National Syndicate of Education Workers or SNTE; National Union ofWorkers or UNT; Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO;Roman Catholic Church
Micronesia, Federated States ofNA
MoldovaNA
MonacoNA
Mongoliaother: human rights groups; women's groups
MontserratNA
MoroccoDemocratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI];General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL];Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; NationalLabor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of MoroccanWorkers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]
MozambiqueMozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dosDireitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]
NamibiaEarthlife Namibia [Berthchen KOHRS] (environmentalistgroup); National Society for Human Rights or NSHR; The WorldInformation Services of Energy or WISE (group against nuclear power)
NauruWoman Information and News Agency (women's issues)
Nepalother: several small armed Madhesi groups along the southernborder with India; a variety of groups advocating regional autonomyfor individual ethnic groups
NetherlandsChristian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Jaap SMIT];Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW[Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businessesor MKB [Loek HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV[Agnes JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOYKAN]; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP[Richard STEENBORG]
New CaledoniaNA
New ZealandWomen's Electoral Lobby or WELother: apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori;nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups
NicaraguaNational Workers Front or FNT (a Sandinista umbrella groupof eight labor unions including: Farm Workers Association or ATC,Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and MartyrsConfederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, NationalAssociation of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union ofEmployees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG,Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists ofNicaragua or UPN); Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT (an umbrellagroup of four non-Sandinista labor unions including: AutonomousNicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of LaborUnification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor orCGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS); NicaraguanWorkers' Central or CTN (an independent labor union); SuperiorCouncil of Private Enterprise or COSEP (a confederation of businessgroups)
NigerThe Nigerien Movement for Justice or MNJ, a predominantlyTuareg rebel group
NigeriaAcademic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign forDemocracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee forthe Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project orCRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyersor NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; NigerianBar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; NigerianMedical Association or NMA; the press; Universal Defenders ofDemocracy or UDD
NiueNA
Norfolk Islandnone
Northern Mariana IslandsNA
NorwayNorwegian Aid Committee or NORWAC; Norwegian Association ofthe Disabled; Pure Salmon Campaign; The Consumer Council (consumeradvocacy group)other: environmental groups; media; reform movements
Omannone
Pakistanother: military (most important political force); ulema(clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants
PalauNA
PanamaChamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Councilof Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of PrivateEnterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction and SimilarWorkers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives orAPEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; WorkersConfederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP
Papua New GuineaAhora [Andrew MAMOKO] (represents local tribes);Centre for Environment Law and Community Rights or Celcor [DamienASE]; Community Coalition Against Corruption
ParaguayAhorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board ofCampesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federationof Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central orCNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan WorkersConfederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Centralor CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]
PeruGeneral Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General deTrabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN]; Shining Path (SenderoLuminoso) or SL [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Victor QUISPEPalomino (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group)
PhilippinesABONO [Robert ESTRELLA]; AKBAYAN [Anna TheresiaBARAQUIEL]; An Waray [Florencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [MujivHATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Rafael MARIANO]; ARC [Narciso SANTIAGO III];Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [ErnestoPABLO and Edgar VALDEZ]; A TEACHER [Mariano PIAMONTE]; Bayan Muna[Satur OCAMPO and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; Black and White Movement[Vicente ROMANO]; BUHAY [Rene VELARDE, Carissa COSCOLLUELLA, andWilliam TIENG]; BUTIL [Leonila CHAVEZ]; CIBAC [Emmanuel JoelVILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Jose PING-AY]; GABRIELA [Liza MAZA andLuzviminda ILAGAN]; KABATAAN [Raymon PALATINO]; Kilosbayan [JovitoSALONGA]; YACAP [Carol LOPEZ]
Pitcairn Islandsnone
PolandAll Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [JanGUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, ArchbishopJozef MICHALIK]; Solidarity Trade Union [Piotr DUDA]
Portugalthe media; labor unions
Puerto RicoBoricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group alsoknown as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups areconsidered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces forNational Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance,Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
Qatarnone
Romaniaother: various human rights and professional associations
RussiaAssociation of Citizens with Initiative of Russia (TIGR);Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR); Federation of IndependentLabor Unions of Russia; Freedom of Choice Interregional Organizationof Automobilists; Glasnost Defense Foundation; Golos Association inDefense of Voters' Rights; Greenpeace Russia; Human Rights Watch(Russian chapter); Institute for Collective Action; Memorial (humanrights group); Movement Against Illegal Migration; Pamjat(preservation of historical monuments and recording of history);Russian Orthodox Church; Russian Federation of Car Owners;Russian-Chechen Friendship Society; SOVA Analytical-InformationCenter; Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers; World WildlifeFund (Russian chapter)
RwandaIBUKA (association of genocide survivors)
Saint BarthelemyThe Marine Reserve (protection of fish); Rotary Club
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunhaother: private sector;unions
Saint Kitts and NevisNA
Saint LuciaNA
Saint MartinNA
Saint Pierre and MiquelonNA
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesNA
SamoaNA
San MarinoNA
Sao Tome and PrincipeAssociation of Sao Tome and Principe NGOs orFONGother: the media
Saudi ArabiaAnsar Al Marah (supports women's rights)other: gas companies; religious groups
Senegalother: labor; students; Sufi brotherhoods, including theMourides and Tidjanes; teachers
SerbiaObraz (Orthodox clero-fascist organization); 1389 (Serbiannationalist movement)
SeychellesRoman Catholic Churchother: trade unions
Sierra Leoneother: student unions; trade unions
Singaporenone
SlovakiaAssociation of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation ofTrade Unions or KOZ; Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia or ZPS;Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic;National Union of Employers or RUZ; Slovak Chamber of Commerce andIndustry or SOPK; Slovenska Pospolitost; The Business Alliance ofSlovakia or PAS
SloveniaSlovenian Roma Association [Jozek Horvat MUC]other: Catholic Church
Solomon IslandsIsatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force(MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the SolomonIslands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
Somaliaother: numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both insupport and in opposition to the transitional government
South AfricaCongress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU[Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Partyor SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African NationalCivics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]note: note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
SpainAssociation for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassrootsorganization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks andsupporting its victims); Basta Ya (Spanish for "Enough is Enough");grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terroristattacks and supporting its victims); Nunca Mais (Galician for "NeverAgain"; formed in response to the oil Tanker Prestige oil spill);Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smallerindependent Workers Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederationof Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.other: business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; freelabor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students
Sri LankaLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [P. SIVAPARAN,Chief of International Secretariat; V. RUDRAKUMARAN, legal advisor];note - this insurgent group suffered military defeat in May 2009;some cadres remain scattered throughout country;other: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalesegroups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; SinhaleseBuddhist lay groups
SudanUmma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]; Popular Congress Party orPCP [Hassan al-TURABI]; Darfur rebel groups including the Justiceand Equality Movement or JEM [Khalil IBRAHIM] and the SudanLiberation Movement or SLM [various factional leaders]
SurinameAssociation of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE];Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE];Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]
SvalbardNA
SwazilandSwaziland Democracy Campaign; Swaziland Federation ofTrade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN
SwedenChildren's Rights in Society; Swedish Confederation ofProfessional Employees or TCO; Swedish Federation of Trade Unions orLOother: media
SwitzerlandNA
SyriaArab Human Rights Organization in Syria or AHRO; DamascusDeclaration Group (a broad alliance of secular, religious, andKurdish opposition groups); National Salvation Front (alliancebetween former Vice President Abd al-Halim KHADDAM and other smallopposition groups in exile; formerly included the Syrian MuslimBrotherhood); Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression[Mazin DARWISH]; Syrian Human Rights Organization [Muhanadal-HASANI]; Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fayez FAWAZ];Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-SHAQFAH](operates in exile in London)
Taiwanenvironmental groups; independence movement; various businessgroupsnote: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within themainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; public opinion pollsconsistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supportsmaintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future;advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the islandwill eventually unify with mainland China; advocates of eventualunification predicate their goal on the democratic transformation ofthe mainland
Tajikistansplinter parties recognized by the government but not bythe base of the party: Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV](splintered from ISKANDAROV's DPT); Socialist Party or SPT[Abduhalim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from NARZIEV's SPT)unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [HikmatulloNASREDDINOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party[Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
TanzaniaEconomic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; FreeZanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA
ThailandPeople's Alliance for Democracy or PAD; United Front forDemocracy Against Dictatorship or UDD
Timor-LesteNA
TogoNA
Tokelaunone
TongaHuman Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev.Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]
Trinidad and TobagoJamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin ABU BAKR]
Tunisia18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian Leaguefor Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]
TurkeyConfederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey orTUSKON [Rizanur MERAL}; Confederation of Public Sector Unions orKESK [Sami EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions orDISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' andBusinessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer Cihad VARDAN]; MoralRights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederationof Employers' Unions or TISK [Tugrul KUDATGOBILIK]; TurkishConfederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Mustafa KUMLU]; TurkishConfederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [BendeviPALANDOKEN]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Associationor TUSIAD [Umit BOYNER]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce andCommodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]
Turkmenistannone
Turks and Caicos IslandsNA
Tuvalunone
UgandaLord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY]; YoungParliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI]; Parliamentary AdvocacyForum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Ugandaor NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for PoliticalAccountability to Women or COPAW
UkraineCommittee of Voters of Ukraine [Aleksandr CHERNENKO]; OPORA[Olha AIVAZOVSKA]
United Arab EmiratesNA
United KingdomCampaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation ofBritish Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
United Statesenvironmentalists; business groups; labor unions;churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; healthgroups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportationgroups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reformlobbies
UruguayArchitect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization);Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association);Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization);PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labororganization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association);Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Womenother: Catholic Church; students
Uzbekistanthere are no significant opposition political parties orpressure groups operating in Uzbekistan
VanuatuNA
VenezuelaFEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOSgroups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labororganization dominated by the Democratic Action)
Vietnam8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People'sDemocratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracynote: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by thegovernment
Virgin IslandsNA
Wallis and FutunaNA
Western Saharanone
YemenMuslim Brotherhood; Women National Committeeother: conservative tribal groups; Huthis, southern secessionistgroups; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
ZambiaNA
ZimbabweCrisis in Zimbabwe Coalition; National ConstitutionalAssembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA[Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU[Wellington CHIBEBE]
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Field Listing :: Economy - overview
This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends. Country
Economy - overview
AfghanistanAfghanistan's economy is recovering from decades ofconflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall ofthe Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion ofinternational assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector,and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past fewyears, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highlydependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboringcountries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortagesof housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs.Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, and the AfghanGovernment's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of thecountry pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan'sliving standards are among the lowest in the world. While theinternational community remains committed to Afghanistan'sdevelopment, pledging over $67 billion at four donors' conferencessince 2002, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome anumber of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic jobcreation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, andpoor public infrastructure.
AkrotiriEconomic activity is limited to providing services to themilitary and their families located in Akrotiri. All food andmanufactured goods must be imported.
AlbaniaAlbania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, ismaking the difficult transition to a more modern open-marketeconomy. Macroeconomic growth averaged around 6% between 2004-08,but declined to about 3% in 2009-10. Inflation is low and stable.The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, andrecently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the largegray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy isbolstered by annual remittances from abroad representing about 15%of GDP, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; thishelps offset the towering trade deficit. The agricultural sector,which accounts for over half of employment but only about one-fifthof GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations andsubsistence farming because of lack of modern equipment, unclearproperty rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots ofland. Energy shortages because of a reliance on hydropower, andantiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania'spoor business environment and lack of success in attracting newforeign investment needed to expand the country's export base. Thecompletion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore has helpeddiversify generation capacity, and plans to upgrade transmissionlines between Albania and Montenegro and Kosovo would help relievethe energy shortages. Also, with help from EU funds, the governmentis taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network,a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
AlgeriaAlgeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacyof the country's socialist post-independence development model.Gradual liberalization since the mid-1990s has opened up more of theeconomy, but in recent years Algeria has imposed new restrictions onforeign involvement in its economy and largely halted theprivatization of state-owned industries. Hydrocarbons have long beenthe backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budgetrevenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria hasthe eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is thefourth-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in oil reserves. Thanksto strong hydrocarbon revenues, Algeria has a cushion of $150billion in foreign currency reserves and a large hydrocarbonstabilization fund. In addition, Algeria's external debt isextremely low at about 1% of GDP. Algeria has struggled to developindustires outside of hydrocarbons in part because of high costs andan inert state bureaucracy.The government's efforts to diversify theeconomy by attracting foregin and domestic investment outside theenergy sector have done little to reduce high poverty and youthunemployment rates. In 2010, Algeria began a five-year, $286 billiondevelopment program to update the country's infrastructure andprovide jobs. The costly program will boost Algeria's economy in2011 but worsen the country's budget deficit. Long-term economicchallenges include diversification from hydrocarbons, relaxing statecontrol of the economy, and providing adequate jobs for yougerAlgerians.
American SamoaAmerican Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economyin which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economicactivity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoaconducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processingplants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna theprimary export. The two tuna canneries account for 80% ofemployment. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resultingtsunami devastated American Samoa and nearby Samoa, disruptingtransportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200deaths. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency is overseeing arelief program of nearly $25 million. Transfers from the USGovernment add substantially to American Samoa's economic wellbeing. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broadereconomy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limitedtransportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is apromising developing sector.
AndorraTourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy,accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11 million touristsvisit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status for someproducts and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparativeadvantage eroded when the borders of neighboring France and Spainopened, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs.The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven" status, alsocontributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production islimited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to beimported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising.Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, andfurniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and istreated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs)and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.
AngolaAngola's high growth rate in recent years was driven by highinternational prices for its oil. Angola became a member of OPEC inlate 2006 and in late 2007 was assigned a production quota of 1.9million barrels a day (bbl/day), somewhat less than the 2-2.5million bbl/day Angola's government had wanted. Oil production andits supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Diamondexports contribute an additional 5%. Subsistence agricultureprovides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of thecountry's food is still imported. Increased oil production supportedgrowth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2008. A postwarreconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led tohigh rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Muchof the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped fromthe 27-year-long civil war. Land mines left from the war still marthe countryside, even though peace was established after the deathof rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Since 2005, thegovernment has used billions of dollars in credit lines from China,Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU to rebuild Angola'spublic infrastructure. The global recession temporarily stalledeconomic growth. Lower prices for oil and diamonds during the globalrecession led to a contraction in GDP in 2009, and many constructionprojects stopped because Luanda accrued $9 billion in arrears toforeign construction companies when government revenue fell in 2008and 2009. Angola abandoned its currency peg in 2009, and in November2009 signed onto an IMF Stand-By Arrangement loan of $1.4 billion torebuild international reserves. Although consumer inflation declinedfrom 325% in 2000 to under 14% in 2010, Luanda has been unable toreduce inflation below 10%. The Angolan kwanza depreciated again inmid 2010, which, along with higher oil prices, should boost economicgrowth in all sectors. Corruption, especially in the extractivesectors, also is a major challenge.
AnguillaAnguilla has few natural resources, and the economy dependsheavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, andremittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourismindustry has spurred the growth of the construction sectorcontributing to economic growth. Anguillan officials have putsubstantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,which is small but growing. In the medium term, prospects for theeconomy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, onrevived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as onfavorable weather conditions.
AntarcticaScientific undertakings rather than commercial pursuitsare the predominate human activity in Antarctica. Fishing off thecoast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica'slimited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries, targeting three mainspecies - Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichuseleginoides and D. mawsoni), mackerel icefish (Champsocephalusgunnari), and krill (Euphausia superba) - reported landing 141,147metric tons in 2008-09 (1 July - 30 June). (Estimated fishing isfrom the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation ofAntarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightlybeyond the Antarctic Treaty area.) Unregulated fishing, particularlyof Patagonian toothfish (also known as Chilean sea bass), is aserious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limitsfor marine species. A total of 37,858 tourists visited the AntarcticTreaty area in the 2008-09 Antarctic summer, down from the 46,265visitors in 2007-2008 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty bythe International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO);this does not include passengers on overflights). Nearly all of themwere passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and severalyachts that make trips during the summer.
Antigua and BarbudaTourism continues to dominate Antigua andBarbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% ofinvestment. The dual-island nation's agricultural production isfocused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited watersupply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wagesin tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-typeassembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts,and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in themedium term will continue to depend on tourist arrivals from the US,Canada, and Europe and potential damages from natural disasters.After taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government adopted anambitious fiscal reform program, and was successful in reducing itspublic debt-to-GDP ratio from 120% to about 90% in 2008. However,the global financial crisis that began in 2008, has led to asignificant increase in the national debt, which topped 130% at theend of 2010. The Antiguan economy experienced solid growth from 2003to 2007, reaching over 12% in 2006 driven by a construction boom inhotels and housing associated with the Cricket World Cup, but growthdropped off in 2008 with the end of the boom. In 2009, Antigua'seconomy was severely hit by the global economic crisis, sufferingfrom the collapse of its largest financial institution and a steepdecline in tourism. This decline continued in 2010 as the countrystruggled with a yawning budget deficit.
Arctic OceanEconomic activity is limited to the exploitation ofnatural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.
ArgentinaArgentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highlyliterate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and adiversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiestcountries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20thcentury from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal andcurrent account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt,and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and externalindebtedness, and a bank run culminated in 2001 in the most seriouseconomic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulenthistory. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default -the largest in history - on the government's foreign debt inDecember of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days aftertaking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end tothe peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar in early 2002.The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller thanin 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. RealGDP rebounded to grow by an average 8.5% annually over thesubsequent six years, taking advantage of previously idledindustrial capacity and labor, an audacious debt restructuring andreduced debt burden, excellent international financial conditions,and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation alsoincreased, however, during the administration of President NestorKIRCHNER, which responded with price restraints on businesses, aswell as export taxes and restraints, and beginning in early 2007,with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNERsucceeded her husband as President in late 2007, and the rapideconomic growth of previous years began to slow sharply thefollowing year as government policies held back exports and theworld economy fell into recession. The economy has rebounded fromthe 2009 recession, but the government's continued reliance onexpansionary fiscal and monetary policies risks exacerbating alreadyhigh inflation, which remains under-reported by official statistics.