males age 16-49: 189,456 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 132,188
females age 16-49: 147,296 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 8,842
female: 8,452 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 82
Transnational Issues ::Guyana
Disputes - international:
all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Guyana is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; most trafficking appears to take place in remote mining camps in the country's interior; some women and girls are trafficked from northern Brazil; reporting from other nations suggests Guyanese women and girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation to neighboring countries and Guyanese men and boys are subject to labor exploitation in construction and agriculture; trafficking victims from Suriname, Brazil, and Venezuela transit Guyana en route to Caribbean destinations
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, Guyana is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement actions against trafficking offenders; the government has yet to produce an anti-trafficking conviction under the comprehensive Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, which became law in 2005; the government operates no shelters for trafficking victims, but did include limited funding for anti-trafficking NGOs in its 2008 budget; the government did not make any effort to reduce demand for commercial sex acts during 2007 (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Haiti (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Haiti
Background:
The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. An estimated 2 million people live within the zone of heavy to moderate structural damage. The earthquake is assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years and massive international assistance will be required to help the country recover.
Geography ::Haiti
Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 27,750 sq km country comparison to the world: 147 land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline:
1,771 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 28.11%
permanent crops: 11.53%
other: 60.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
920 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
14 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.99 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%)
per capita: 116 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People ::Haiti
Population:
9,719,932 country comparison to the world: 87 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (2011 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,735,917/female 1,704,383)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 2,621,059/female 2,665,447)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 120,040/female 188,690) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.1 years
male: 20.9 years
female: 21.4 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.787% country comparison to the world: 139 note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009 (2011 est.)
Birth rate:
24.4 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Death rate:
8.21 deaths/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 98 note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009 (2011 est.)
Net migration rate:
-8.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.011 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.02 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 43 male: 58.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.83 deaths/1,000 live births
note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009 (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.17 years country comparison to the world: 179 male: 60.84 years
female: 63.53 years
note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010, which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009 (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.07 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
120,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
7,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian
Ethnic groups:
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%,Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo
Languages:
French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
Education expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 177
Government ::Haiti
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
local short form: Haiti/Ayiti
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Port-au-Prince
geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence:
1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution:
approved March 1987
note: suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991 military government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006
Legal system:
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Max BELLERIVE (since 7 November 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 28 November 2010; runoff scheduled for 16 January 2011 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly
election results: 2010 results not final, initial results are under OAS review; Mirlande MANIGAT 31.37%, Jude CELESTIN 22.48%, Michel MARTELLY 21.84%, all others less than 10% each
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate in 2006, the candidate in each department receiving the most votes in the last election serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two years
elections: Senate - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections scheduled for 16 January 2011 (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be held in 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections schedule for 16 January 2011 (next regular election to be held in 2014)
election results: 2010 election results are not final; 2006 Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, FUSION 5, OPL 4, FL 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, PONT 2, ALYANS 1; 2006 Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 23, FUSION 17, FRN 12, OPL 10, ALYANS 10, LAAA 5, MPH 3, MOCHRENA 3, other 10; results for six other seats contested on 3 December 2006 remain unknown
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly ofProgressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Conventionfor Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action toBuild Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance orALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition composed of KID and PPRH); Effort andSolidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [JosephJASME]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; For Us All or PONT[Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or L'ESPWA [Rene PREVAL](alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations Grand-AnseResistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants' Group, andKombit Sudest); Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [OsnerFEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and ReformMovement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; HeadsTogether or Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement forNational Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peaceand National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Liberal Party ofHaiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL]; Merging of Haitian Social DemocraticParties or FUSION or FPSDH [Serge GILLES] (coalition of AyitiCapable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and National Congressof Democratic Movements); Mobilization for Haiti's Development orMPH [Samir MOURRA]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN[Hubert de RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN[Jean Henold BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy inHaiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; National Christian Union for theReconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; NationalFront for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; NewChristian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Openthe Gate Party or PLB [Anes LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal ofHaiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN]; Struggling People's Organization orOPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitiansor UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Autonomous 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
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU,ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Louis Harold JOSEPH
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Orlando (Florida)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth H. MERTEN
embassy: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: use mailing address
telephone: [509] 229-8000
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength); the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes
National anthem:
name: "La Dessalinienne" (The Dessalines Song)
lyrics/music: Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD
note: adopted 1904; the anthem is named for Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, a leader in the Haitian Revolution and first ruler of an independent Haiti
Economy ::Haiti
Economy - overview:
Haiti's economy suffered a severe setback when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake damaged its capital city, Port-au-Prince, in January 2010. Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty, the damage to Port-au-Prince caused the country's GDP to contract an estimated 8% in 2010. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. Congress voted in 2010 to extend the legislation until 2020 under the Haitian Economic Lift Act (HELP); the apparel sector accounts for three-quarters of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. Haiti received debt forgiveness for over $1 billion of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative in 2009. The remainder of its outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries in early 2010 but has since climbed back to about $500 million. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$11.18 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 $12.15 billion (2009 est.)
$11.81 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.495 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 213 2.9% (2009 est.)
0.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 205 $1,200 (2009 est.)
$1,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23%
industry: 20%
services: 57% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
3.643 million country comparison to the world: 95 note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
NA% est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Population below poverty line:
80% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
59.2 (2001) country comparison to the world: 7
Investment (gross fixed):
28.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134 2% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.25% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 17.81% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$787.2 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 144 $800 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$3.137 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 131 $2.958 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.632 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 $1.698 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Industries:
textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate:
-8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Electricity - production:
665 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - consumption:
273 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Oil - consumption:
12,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Oil - imports:
12,280 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Current account balance:
-$781 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 -$627 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$559 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 $551 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee
Exports - partners:
US 79.76%, Dominican Republic 7.24%, Canada 2.96% (2009)
Imports:
$2.446 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $2.032 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials
Imports - partners:
US 33.11%, Dominican Republic 23.53%, Netherlands Antilles 10.75%,China 5.36% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.021 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $790 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$494 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $1.362 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
gourdes (HTG) per US dollar - 41.198 (2010), 41.195 (2009), 39.216 (2008), 37.138 (2007), 40.232 (2006)
Communications ::Haiti
Telephones - main lines in use:
108,300 (2009) country comparison to the world: 142
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.648 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 108
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is among the least developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
domestic: mobile-cellular telephone services are expanding rapidly due, in part, to the introduction of low-cost GSM phones; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 40 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
several television stations, including 1 government-owned; cable TV subscription service is available; government-owned radio network; more than 250 private and community radio stations operating with about 50 FM stations in Port-au-Prince alone (2007)
Internet country code:
.ht
Internet hosts:
273 (2010) country comparison to the world: 185
Internet users:
1 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 99
Transportation ::Haiti
Airports:
14 (2010) country comparison to the world: 148
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 4,160 km country comparison to the world: 155 paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Port-au-Prince
Military ::Haiti
Military branches:
no regular military forces - small Coast Guard; the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper until or unless they are constitutionally abolished (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,283,915
females age 16-49: 2,250,220 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,573,371
females age 16-49: 1,591,942 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 110,514
female: 108,208 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 167
Transnational Issues ::Haiti
Disputes - international:
since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs:
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Antarctica)
Introduction ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Background:
These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Geography ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Location:
islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 412 sq km country comparison to the world: 201 land: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
101.9 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mawson Peak on Big Ben volcano 2,745 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005
People ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Population:
uninhabited
Government ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
abbreviation: HIMI
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Legal system:
the laws of Australia where applicable apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview:
The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the AustralianGovernment allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.
Communications ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code:
.hm
Transportation ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Transnational Issues ::Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on November 17, 2010
======================================================================
@Holy See (Vatican City) (Europe)
Introduction ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Background:
Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Geography ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 0.44 sq km country comparison to the world: 250 land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 3.2 km
border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)
Terrain:
urban; low hill
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed elevation 75 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)
People ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Population:
829 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 236
Population growth rate:
0.004% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
Italians, Swiss, other
Religions:
Roman Catholic
Languages:
Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Government ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Country name:
conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Government type:
ecclesiastical
Capital:
name: Vatican City
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century
National holiday:
Election Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 19 April (2005)
Constitution:
Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaced the first Fundamental Law of 1929)
Legal system:
based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch:
chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE (since 15 September 2006)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City appointed by the pope (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held on 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope
election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI
Legislative branch:
unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
Judicial branch:
there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio, papal directive, of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
International organization participation:
IAEA, Interpol, IOM (observer), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, OAS (observer),OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN (observer),UNCTAD, UNHCR, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO (observer), UPU, WIPO,WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Miguel Humberto DIAZ
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome
mailing address: PSC 833, Box 66, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428
Flag description:
two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white band; the yellow color represents the pope's spiritual power, the white his worldly power
National anthem:
name: "Inno e Marcia Pontificale" (Hymn and Pontifical March)
lyrics/music: Raffaello LAVAGNA/Charles-Francois GOUNOD
note: adopted 1950; although used as such, "Inno e Marcia Pontificale" is not officially a national anthem but rather a hymn meant to appeal to Roman Catholics throughout the world
Economy ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Economy - overview:
The Holy See is supported financially by a variety of sources, including investments, real estate income, and donations from Catholic individuals, dioceses, and institutions; these help fund the Roman Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), diplomatic missions, and media outlets. The separate Vatican City State budget includes the Vatican museums and post office and is supported financially by the sale of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by publications sales. Moreover, an annual collection taken up in dioceses and direct donations go to a non-budgetary fund known as Peter's Pence, which is used directly by the Pope for charity, disaster relief, and aid to churches in developing nations. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.